US SENATOR STATED OF INADMISSIBILITY OF ARMENIA-AZERI MILITARY AID IMBALANCE

With the suggestion to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan that four times exceeds the aid to Armenia for FY 2005, the US President Administration could be construed to be taking sides in the ongoing dispute on Nagorno Karabakh, Senator George Allen stated at the hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee. In his words, by requesting $8.75 million in military assistance for Azerbaijan and only $2.75 million for Armenia, the Administration sends a dangerous message and threatens to undermine progress that has been made in finding peace between two countries and bringing stability to the region. At the same time as reported by Armenian National Committee of America, Allen also urged the Administration to discourage future acts of violence against Armenians by Azeris and to cancel Baku as host of NATO’s upcoming Partnership for Peace (PfP) military exercises.