WASHINGTON, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 11, 2009, the Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian's sent a letter to the Foreign Affairs Legislative Aid. The letter is false on facts and insulting in substance.

It claims that the change in proposed FY10 economic aid to the countries of the Caucasus compared to FY09 is +20 percent for Azerbaijan, +19 percent for Georgia, and -38 percent for Armenia.

ANCA attempts to blame the U.S. Administration for double-standards but, in fact, it pursues double-standards itself. ANCA compares appropriated funds for FY09 with requested funds for FY10 in the case of Armenia, while for Azerbaijan and Georgia only requested funds are compared. The true figure for Armenia is +25 percent (FY09 request was USD 24 million and FY10 is USD 30 million).

Moreover, since independence in 1991, Armenia has always been a leading U.S. aid recipient, enjoying USD 1.7 billion in aid.

Distorting Azerbaijan's and Georgia's democratic credentials, while shielding Armenia's, is a continuation of these double-standards. Both Azerbaijan and Georgia proved to be U.S. strategic partners and neither one ever held an election which claimed the innocent lives of peaceful opposition protesters.

ANCA would serve both Armenia's and America's interests by truthfully informing the U.S. public, law-makers and officials.

SOURCE Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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