Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas in the US have started their next campaign by sending thousand letters to Senate and House of Representatives in order to cutting US aid to the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, APA reported.
“On the eve of Congressional debates on the Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2011 and Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill, Azerbaijani-Americans are increasingly concerned by the efforts of some special interest groups to push for another increase in direct US aid to the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan”, Diaspora members informed APA.
“From 1992, the US Congress has been allocating funds to address humanitarian needs of the victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since 2005, as a result of changes in the wording of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bills, the U.S. funds have been provided only to the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh region, whereas over half a million Azerbaijanis expelled from the region during the conflict were deprived of this assistance. In the absence of political settlement of the conflict, such unilateral US assistance undermines the humanitarian nature and impartiality of the original Congressional intent, which was to address the needs of the entire conflict-affected population.” says the letter.
According to the Azeri and Turkish Diasporas, at the time of slow economic recovery, with the US national debt reported at $14.13 trillion in January 2011, an increase in the allocation of direct US aid to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian community is simply unsubstantiated.
“While the US is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one-sided aid allocation presents a clear case of U. favoritism towards Armenia. Such approach damages our relations with Azerbaijan, who has been a vital US partner in energy security and global fight on terrorism, and a key ally in the US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Above all, uneven treatment of sides in the ethnic conflict impairs the U.S. foreign policy aimed at achieving peace and supporting democracy in South Caucasus”, says the Diasporas’ letter.
We ask Azerbaijani- and Turkic-Americans to use our Capwiz legislative action system for contacting their elected representatives to voice support for cutting U.S. aid to Armenia and the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=/paxturcica/issues/alert/?alertid=27511501
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