Other Bilateral Economic Assistance

Other Bilateral Economic Assistance economic support fund (including transfer of funds) For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II, $2,634,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $240,000,000 shall be available only for Israel, which sum shall be available on a grant basis as a cash transfer and shall be disbursed within 30 days of the enactment of this Act: Provided further, That not less than $495,000,000 shall be available only for Egypt, which sum shall be provided on a grant basis, and of which sum cash transfer assistance shall be provided with the understanding that Egypt will undertake significant economic and political reforms which are additional to those which were undertaken in previous fiscal years: Provided further, That with respect to the provision of assistance for Egypt for democracy and governance activities, the organizations implementing such assistance and the specific nature of that assistance shall not be subject to the prior approval by the Government of Egypt: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading for assistance for Egypt, not less than $135,000,000 shall be made available for project assistance, of which not less than $50,000,000 shall be made available for democracy, human rights and governance programs and not less than $50,000,000 shall be used for education programs, of which not less than $5,000,000 shall be made available for scholarships for disadvantaged Egyptian students to attend American accredited institutions of higher education in Egypt: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading for assistance for Egypt for economic reform activities, $227,600,000 shall be withheld from obligation until the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that Egypt has met the calendar year 2005 benchmarks accompanying the “Financial Sector Reform Memorandum of Understanding” dated March 20, 2005: Provided further, That $20,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this heading should be made available for Cyprus to be used only for scholarships, administrative support of the scholarship program, bicommunal projects, and measures aimed at reunification of the island and designed to reduce tensions and promote peace and cooperation between the two communities on Cyprus: Provided further, That in exercising the authority to provide cash transfer assistance for Israel, the President shall ensure that the level of such assistance does not cause an adverse impact on the total level of nonmilitary exports from the United States to such country and that Israel enters into a side letter agreement in an amount proportional to the fiscal year 1999 agreement: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $250,000,000 should be made available only for assistance for Jordan: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading that are available for assistance for the West Bank and Gaza, not to exceed $2,000,000 may be used for administrative expenses of the United States Agency for International Development, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, to carry out programs in the West Bank and Gaza: Provided further, That not more than 119 STAT. 2181$225,000,000 of the funds made available for assistance for Afghanistan under this heading may be obligated for such assistance until the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Afghanistan at both the national and local level is cooperating fully with United States funded poppy eradication and interdiction efforts in Afghanistan: Provided further, That the President may waive the previous proviso if he determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that to do so is vital to the national security interests of the United States: Provided further, That such report shall include an analysis of the steps being taken by the Government of Afghanistan, at the national and local level, to cooperate fully with United States funded poppy eradication and interdiction efforts in Afghanistan: Provided further, That $40,000,000 of the funds appropriated under this heading shall be made available for assistance for Lebanon, of which not less than $6,000,000 should be made available for scholarships and direct support of American educational institutions in Lebanon: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading that are made available for assistance for Iraq, not less than $5,000,000 shall be transferred to and merged with funds appropriated under the heading “Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund” in chapter 2 of title II of Public Law 108–106 and shall be made available for the Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading that are made available for assistance for Iraq, not less than $56,000,000 shall be made available for democracy, governance and rule of law programs in Iraq: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $19,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, of which up to $1,000,000 may be available for administrative expenses of the United States Agency for International Development: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated under this heading shall be made available for programs and activities for the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading that are made available for a Middle East Financing Facility, Middle East Enterprise Fund, or any other similar entity in the Middle East shall be subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations: Provided further, That of funds appropriated under this heading, $13,000,000 should be made available for a United States contribution to the Special Court for Sierra Leone: Provided further, That with respect to funds appropriated under this heading in this Act or prior Acts making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related programs, the responsibility for policy decisions and justifications for the use of such funds, including whether there will be a program for a country that uses those funds and the amount of each such program, shall be the responsibility of the Secretary of State and the Deputy Secretary of State and this responsibility shall not be delegated. international fund for ireland For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, $13,500,000, which shall be available for the United States contribution to the International Fund for Ireland and shall be made available in 119 STAT. 2182 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, 2007. 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, $361,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007, which shall be available, notwithstanding any other provision of law, for assistance and for related programs for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading $5,000,000 should be made available for rule of law programs for the training of judges and prosecutors.(b) 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.(c) The provisions of section 529 of this Act shall apply to funds appropriated under this heading: Provided, That notwithstanding any provision of this or any other Act, including provisions in this subsection regarding the application of section 529 of this Act, local currencies generated by, or converted from, funds appropriated by this Act and by previous appropriations Acts and made available for the economic revitalization program in Bosnia may be used in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States to carry out the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989.(d) The President is authorized to withhold funds appropriated under this heading made available for economic revitalization programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, if he determines and certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has not complied with article III of annex 1–A of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning the withdrawal of foreign forces, and that intelligence cooperation on training, investigations, and related activities between state sponsors of terrorism and terrorist organizations and Bosnian officials has not been terminated. 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 related programs, $514,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the provisions of such chapters shall apply to funds appropriated by this paragraph: Provided further, That funds made available for the Southern Caucasus region may be used, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 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 notwithstanding any 119 STAT. 2183 other provision of law, funds appropriated under this heading in this Act or prior Acts making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related programs, that are made available pursuant to the provisions of section 807 of Public Law 102–511 shall be subject to a 6 percent ceiling on administrative expenses.(b) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $50,000,000 should be made available, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, for assistance for child survival, environmental and reproductive health, and to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and for related activities.(c) Of the funds appropriated under this heading that are made available for assistance for Ukraine, not less than $5,000,000 should be made available for nuclear reactor safety initiatives, and not less than $1,500,000 shall be made available for coal mine safety programs.(d) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, $2,500,000 shall be made available for the Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States.(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, child survival activities, 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) 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 or non-proliferation 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.119 STAT. 2184