ANCA challenges foreign aid double standard
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) circulated a memo to Congressional offices documenting the double standards used to set U.S. aid policy toward to the countries of the Caucasus - policies which have, in recent weeks, led to a proposed 38% cut in economic aid to Armenia and the cancellation of an $80 million road project to the poorest regions of this blockaded nation.
The document, released the day after the Millennium Challenge Corporation effectively suspended a full third of its $235 million grant to Armenia due to concerns over democratic governance, compares the harsh U.S. response to Yerevan's actions, both rhetorically and in terms of aid levels, to the increased financial support that both Azerbaijan and Georgia are set to receive despite their serious shortcomings in the areas of democracy, corruption, and governance.
The document, released the day after the Millennium Challenge Corporation effectively suspended a full third of its $235 million grant to Armenia due to concerns over democratic governance, compares the harsh U.S. response to Yerevan's actions, both rhetorically and in terms of aid levels, to the increased financial support that both Azerbaijan and Georgia are set to receive despite their serious shortcomings in the areas of democracy, corruption, and governance.
