the Senate Appropriations Committee today adopted its version of the FY 2018 foreign aid calling for continued assistance to Artsakh at current levels and allocating assistance to Armenia as follows: $17.633 million in economic assistance; $1.5 million for battling narcotics trafficking; $600,000 in for international military education and training; and $1 million in foreign military financing. The Senate maintained parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In addition, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted three ANCA-backed amendments including one, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Committee Vice-Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) opposing the use of US funds to facilitate the sale of arms to Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail; as second amendment by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) denying U.S. visas to Turkish officials involved in the unlawful imprisonment of U.S. citizens; and, the third by Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) denying U.S. visas to Azerbaijani government officials connected to the improper jailing of the editor of the independent Turan News Agency.
