Other Bilateral Economic Assistance

Other Bilateral Economic Assistance economic support fund For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II, $2,340,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1997: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $1,200,000,000 shall be available only for Israel, which sum shall be available on a grant basis as a cash transfer and shall be disbursed within thirty days of enactment of this Act or by October 31, 1995, whichever is later: Provided 110 STAT. 711further, That not less than $815,000,000 shall be available only for Egypt, which sum shall be provided on a grant basis, and of which sum cash transfer assistance may be provided, with the understanding that Egypt will undertake significant economic reforms which are additional to those which were undertaken in previous fiscal years, and of which not less than $200,000,000 shall be provided as Commodity Import Program assistance: Provided further, That the Egyptian pound equivalent of $85,000,000 generated from funds made available by this paragraph or generated from funds appropriated under this heading in prior appropriations Acts, may be made available to the United States pursuant to the United States-Egypt Economic, Technical and Related Assistance Agreements of 1978, for the following activities under such Agreements: the Egyptian pound equivalent of $50,000,000 may be made available to replenish the existing endowment for the American University in Cairo, and the Egyptian pound equivalent of $35,000,000 may be made available for projects and programs, including establishment of an endowment, which promote the preservation and restoration of Egyptian antiquities: Provided further, That in exercising the authority to provide cash transfer assistance for Israel and Egypt, the President shall ensure that the level of such assistance does not cause an adverse impact on the total level of non-military exports from the United States to each such country: Provided further, That it is the sense of the Congress that the recommended levels of assistance for Egypt and Israel are based in great measure upon their continued participation in the Camp David Accords and upon the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty: Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be made available for Zaire. international fund for ireland For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, up to $19,600,000, which shall be available for the United States contribution to the International Fund for Ireland and shall be made available in accordance with the provisions of the Anglo-Irish Agreement Support Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–415): Provided, That such amount shall be expended at the minimum rate necessary to make timely payment for projects and activities: Provided further, That funds made available under this heading shall remain available until September 30, 1997. assistance for eastern europe and the baltic states (a) For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989, $324,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1997, which shall be available, notwithstanding any other provision of law, for economic assistance and for related programs for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. (b) Funds appropriated under this heading or in prior appropriations Acts that are or have been made available for an Enterprise Fund may be deposited by such Fund in interest-bearing accounts prior to the Fund’s disbursement of such funds for program purposes. The Fund may retain for such program purposes any interest earned on such deposits without returning such interest to the Treasury of the United States and without further appropria-110 STAT. 712tion by the Congress. Funds made available for Enterprise Funds shall be expended at the minimum rate necessary to make timely payment for projects and activities. (c) Funds appropriated under this heading shall be considered to be economic assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for purposes of making available the administrative authorities contained in that Act for the use of economic assistance. assistance for the new independent states of the former soviet union (a) For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter 11 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the FREEDOM Support Act, for assistance for the new independent states of the former Soviet Union and for related programs, $641,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 1997: Provided, That the provisions of 498B(j) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 shall apply to funds appropriated by this paragraph. (b) None of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be transferred to the Government of Russia— (1) unless that Government is making progress in implementing comprehensive economic reforms based on market principles, private ownership, negotiating repayment of commercial debt, respect for commercial contracts, and equitable treatment of foreign private investment; and (2) if that Government applies or transfers United States assistance to any entity for the purpose of expropriating or seizing ownership or control of assets, investments, or ventures. (c) Funds may be furnished without regard to subsection (b) if the President determines that to do so is in the national interest. (d) None of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be made available to any government of the new independent states of the former Soviet Union if that government directs any action in violation of the territorial integrity or national sovereignty of any other new independent state, such as those violations included in the Helsinki Final Act: Provided, That such funds may be made available without regard to the restriction in this subsection if the President determines that to do so is in the national security interest of the United States: Provided further, That the restriction of this subsection shall not apply to the use of such funds for the provision of assistance for purposes of humanitarian, disaster and refugee relief. (e) None of the funds appropriated under this heading for the new independent states of the former Soviet Union shall be made available for any state to enhance its military capability: Provided, That this restriction does not apply to demilitarization or nonproliferation programs. (f) Funds appropriated under this heading shall be subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. (g) Funds made available in this Act for assistance to the new independent states of the former Soviet Union shall be subject to the provisions of section 117 (relating to environment and natural resources) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. (h) Funds appropriated under this heading may be made available for assistance for Mongolia. (i) Funds made available in this Act for assistance to the new independent states of the former Soviet Union shall be provided 110 STAT. 713to the maximum extent feasible through the private sector, including small- and medium-size businesses, entrepreneurs, and others with indigenous private enterprises in the region, intermediary development organizations committed to private enterprise, and private voluntary organizations: Provided, That grantees and contractors should, to the maximum extent possible, place in key staff positions specialists with prior on the ground expertise in the region of activity and fluency in one of the local languages. (j) In issuing new task orders, entering into contracts, or making grants, with funds appropriated under this heading or in prior appropriations Acts, for projects or activities that have as one of their primary purposes the fostering of private sector development, the Coordinator for United States Assistance to the New Independent States and the implementing agency shall encourage the participation of and give significant weight to contractors and grantees who propose investing a significant amount of their own resources (including volunteer services and in-kind contributions) in such projects and activities. (k) Of the funds made available under this heading, not less than $225,000,000 shall be made available for Ukraine, with the understanding that Ukraine will undertake significant economic reforms which are additional to those which were undertaken in previous fiscal years, and of which not less than $50,000,000 (from this or any other Act) shall be made available to improve energy self-sufficiency and improve safety at nuclear reactors, and of which $2,000,000 should be made available to conduct or implement an assessment of the energy distribution grid that provides recommendations leading to increased access to power by industrial, commercial and residential users, and of which not less than $22,000,000 shall be made available to support the development of small and medium enterprises, including independent broadcast and print media. (l) Of the funds made available under this heading, $5,000,000 should be made available for a project to screen, diagnose, and treat victims of breast cancer associated with the 1985 incident at the Chernobyl reactor in Ukraine. (m) Of the funds made available by this Act, not less than $85,000,000 shall be made available for Armenia. (n) Of the funds made available by this or any other Act, $30,000,000 should be made available for Georgia. (o) (1) Effective ninety days after the date of enactment of this Act, none of the funds appropriated under this heading may be made available for Russia unless the President determines and certifies in writing to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Russia has terminated implementation of arrangements to provide Iran with technical expertise, training, technology, or equipment necessary to develop a nuclear reactor or related nuclear research facilities or programs. (2) Subparagraph (1) shall not apply if the President determines that making such funds available is important to the national security interest of the United States. Any such determination shall cease to be effective six months after being made unless the President determines that its continuation is important to the national security interest of the United States. (p) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, $20,000,000 should be provided for hospital partnership programs, medical assistance to directly reduce the incidence of infectious diseases 110 STAT. 714such as diphtheria or tuberculosis, and a program to reduce the adverse impact of contaminated drinking water. (q) Of the funds appropriated under this heading and under the heading “Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States”, not less than $12,600,000 shall be made available for law enforcement training and exchanges, and investigative and technical assistance activities related to international criminal activities. (r) Support should be provided from funds appropriated under this heading for a ballot security project to promote public review by Russian citizens over the conduct of parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia: Provided, That the Secretary of State may waive this provision with regard to any election upon notification to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Russia has blocked implementation of a ballot security project. (s) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $50,000,000 should be provided to the Western NTS and Central Asian Enterprise Funds: Provided, That obligation of these funds shall be consistent with sound business practices. (t) The President shall establish a Trans-Caucasus Enterprise Fund to encourage regional peace through economic cooperation: Provided, That the President shall seek other bilateral and multilateral investors in the Fund: Provided further, That of the funds made available under this heading, not less than $15,000,000 shall be made available for a United States investment in the Trans-Caucasus Enterprise Fund. (u) Funds appropriated under this heading or in prior appropriations Acts that are or have been made available for an Enterprise Fund may be deposited by such Fund in interest-bearing accounts prior to the disbursement of such funds by the Fund for program purposes. The Fund may retain for such program proposes any interest earned on such deposits without returning such interest to the Treasury of the United States and without further appropriation by the Congress. Funds made available for Enterprise Funds shall be expended at the minimum rate necessary to make timely payment for projects and activities. (v) Section 5421(d)(3)(B) of title 22, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following: “: Provided, That, as to Enterprise Funds established with respect to more than one host country, such Enterprise Fund may, in lieu of the appointment of citizens of the host countries to its Board of Directors, establish an advisory council for the host region comprised of citizens of each of the host countries or establish separate advisory councils for each of the host countries (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘Advisory Councils’), with which the Enterprise Fund’s policies and proposed activities and such host country citizens shall satisfy the experience and expertise requirements of this clause.”. (w) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, assistance may be provided for the Government of Azerbaijan for humanitarian purposes, if the President determines that humanitarian assistance provided in Azerbaijan through nongovernmental organizations is not adequately addressing the suffering of refugees and internally displaced persons.