10/04/2002 | pan kotski

UKRAINE: US HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITEE
FOREIGN OPERATIONS BILL H.R. 5410

The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Has Voted To Recommend Language that would Approve Potential Restrictions on Almost all Foreign Assistance Funds to Ukraine and some such funds to Russia unless certain certifications are made. The bill, H.R. 5410 now goes to the full House for a vote.

The House Committee approved the following about Ukraine:

"Therefore the Committee is recommending language that prohibits assistance for the Government of Ukraine unless the Secretary of State determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that, since September 11, 2001, the Government of Ukraine has not facilitated or engaged in arms sales or arms transfers to Iraq. This restriction shall not apply to assistance to combat infectious diseases or assistance for victims of trafficking in persons, and to nonproliferation and disarmament activities authorized under title V of the FREEDOM Support Act."

Ukraine: U.S. House Appropriations Committee Bill And Report Language

1. HOUSE FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS BILL-----
Excerpt on NIS Approved by House Appropriations Committee, September 19, 2002.

H.R.5410
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 19, 2002

Mr. KOLBE, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the following bill; which was committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2003 (Reported in House)

ASSISTANCE FOR THE INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

(a) For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapters 11 and 12 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the FREEDOM Support Act, for assistance for the Independent States of the former Soviet Union and for elated programs, $755,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2004: Provided, That the provisions of such chapters shall apply to funds appropriated by this paragraph: Provided further, That of the funds made available for the Southern Caucasus region, notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds may be used for confidence-building measures and other activities in furtherance of the peaceful resolution of the regional conflicts, especially those in the vicinity of Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabagh: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $1,500,000 should be available only to meet the health and other assistance needs of victims of trafficking in persons.

(b) Of the funds appropriated under this title, $82,500,000 should be made available for assistance for Georgia.

(c) Of the funds appropriated under this title, not less than $83,433,000 should be made available for assistance for Armenia.

(d) Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act shall not apply to--

(1) activities to support democracy or assistance under title V of the FREEDOM Support Act and section 1424 of Public Law 104-201 for nonproliferation assistance;
(2) any assistance provided by the Trade and Development Agency under section 661 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421);
(3) any activity carried out by a member of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service while acting within his or her official capacity;
(4) any insurance, reinsurance, guarantee, or other assistance provided by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation under title IV of chapter 2 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2191 et seq.);
(5) any financing provided under the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945; or
(6) humanitarian assistance.

(e)(1) Of the funds appropriated under this heading that are allocated for assistance for the Government of the Russian Federation, 60 percent shall be withheld from obligation until the President determines and certifies in writing to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of the Russian Federation:

(A) has terminated implementation of arrangements to provide Iran with technical expertise, training, technology, or equipment necessary to develop a nuclear
reactor, related nuclear research facilities or programs, or ballistic missile capability; and

(B) is providing full access to international non-government organizations providing humanitarian relief to refugees and internally displaced persons in Chechnya.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to--
(A) assistance to combat infectious diseases or assistance for victims of trafficking in persons; and
(B) activities authorized under title V (Nonproliferation and Disarmament Programs and Activities) of the FREEDOM Support Act.

(f) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $60,000,000 should be made available, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, for assistance for child survival, basic education, environmental and reproductive health/family planning, and to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and for related activities.

(g) None of the funds appropriated under this heading may be made available for assistance for the Government of Ukraine unless the Secretary of State determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that, since September 11, 2001, the Government of Ukraine has not facilitated or engaged in arms sales or arms transfers to Iraq: Provided, That this paragraph shall not apply to assistance to combat infectious diseases or assistance for victims of trafficking in persons, and to activities authorized under title V (Nonproliferation and Disarmament Programs and Activities) of the FREEDOM Support Act.

(h) Funds made available by this Act for assistance for the Government of Uzbekistan may be made available if the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Uzbekistan is making substantial and continuing progress in meeting its commitments under the `Declaration on the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Framework Between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States of America'.

2. APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT--EXCERPTS ON UKRAINE

House Rpt.107-663 - FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2003

UKRAINE-IRAQ

The Committee is extremely concerned about continuing reports that Ukraine has been involved in arms transfers to Iraq. This is particularly disturbing given the possibility that United States troops may soon be engaged in combat against the military of Iraq. Indeed, Iraq has intensified efforts to destroy military aircraft of the United States and its coalition allies involved in maintaining the `no fly' zones over northern and southern areas of that country. Therefore the Committee is recommending language that prohibits assistance for the Government of Ukraine unless the Secretary of State determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that, since September 11, 2001, the Government of Ukraine has not facilitated or engaged in arms sales or arms transfers to Iraq. This restriction shall not apply to assistance to combat infectious diseases or assistance for victims of trafficking in persons, and to nonproliferation and disarmament activities authorized under title V of the FREEDOM Support Act. The Committee notes that assistance for the first activity does not require a specific exemption in bill language in this case, but has included it for clarity.

AGRICULTURE IN UKRAINE

The Committee is aware of joint efforts by the Departments of State and Agriculture and USAID to develop a United States Government agricultural strategy framework for Ukraine. The development of agriculture production, processing and marketing by small landholders holds great promise for Ukraine and the region. Additionally, the Committee encourages USAID to develop in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture a program similar to the effective Marketing Assistance Program that has been underway in Armenia for the past several years.

DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS

Given the increasing repression of the fledgling institutions of civil society and general reversal of progress towards democracy in the Russian Federation and Ukraine, $4,000,000 should be made available through the National Endowment for Democracy and its subgrantees to assist nongovernmental organizations (NGO's). Such funding should be made available pursuant to section 632(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act. Special emphasis should be given to programs promoting human rights, freedom of information, market reform, rule of law, political party development, freedom of association and NGO development.
Attention should be devoted to programs outside of the capital cities and to cross-border programs that promote the exchange of experience and information among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine.