The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has launched a nationwide grassroots campaign urging the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to reject a proposed $100 million financial guarantee for the sale of Boeing’s cargo aircraft to Azerbaijan’s Silk Way Airlines, reports Zartonk Media.
This financing would enable Aliyev’s regime to acquire dual-use aircraft, facilitating the illegal flow of arms into Azerbaijan”a country widely condemned for its genocidal policies against the Armenian population of Artsakh and ongoing aggression against the Republic of Armenia.
On January 10, 2025, EXIM Bank announced that it received Boeing’s application for final commitment for a loan exceeding $100 million. Public comments on this proposal will be accepted until February 7, 2025, and presented to the EXIM Board of Directors for consideration before any final decision.
The ANCA’s campaign, anca.org/exim, empowers individuals across the country to voice their opposition to this transaction.
The ANCA argues that approval of this financing would:
- Violate U.S. Export Control Laws: The sale contravenes regulations on dual-use items under the Export Administration Regulations and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
- Undermine Regional Peace: Providing military advantage to Azerbaijan jeopardizes the sovereignty and security of Armenia and Artsakh.
- Contradict U.S. Sanctions and Policies: Azerbaijan’s record of human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing, and unlawful detention of POWs calls for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, not U.S. financial backing.
- Facilitate Genocidal Intent: Azerbaijan has used its arsenal to ethnically cleanse Artsakh’s Armenian population, with documented evidence of Silk Way Airlines’ role in illegal arms transfers.
Silk Way Airlines, closely tied to the Aliyev regime, has been implicated in numerous investigations, including by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), for transporting illicit arms used in Azerbaijan’s assaults on Artsakh. These acts, documented by Freedom House and other watchdog organizations, demonstrate Azerbaijan’s intent to systematically erase Armenian heritage and presence in the region.
