US STATE DEPARTMENT ASSURES DISPARITY OF MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN WILL NOT ALTER POWER BALANCE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net - US State Department assures that disparity of military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan will not alter the military capability of the Azeri army, nor will it perturb the military balance in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region. It was stated by Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones during a March 2nd hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee in response to questions directed to the Department of State by Senator George Allen (R-VA). It should be reminded that as part of its FY 2005 budget, the Bush Administration proposed sending $8 million Foreign Military Financing assistance to Azerbaijan and only $2 million to Armenia. At that E. Jones said an arrangement on maintaining parity has never existed. Meanwhile, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said the agreement to maintain equal military aid levels was struck in late 2001 between the White House and Congress during negotiations over granting the President the authority to waive Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. According to the ANCA, National Security Council official Dan Fried and Presidential advisor Karl Rove shared the agreement with representatives of the Armenian American community during a February 21, 2002 meeting at the White House.