Obama nominates John Heffern for U.S. ambassador to Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Barack Obama nominated John A. Heffern, for the post of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, the White House announced, according to Asbarez.

Heffern is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at USNATO, Brussels. Prior to his current post, Heffern served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia. Heffern’s career has also included overseas assignments to Japan, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Guangzhou, China. From 1994-1996, Heffern served as a Pearson Fellow on the Asia Sub-Committee for the House International Relations Committee. Prior to entering the Foreign Service, Heffern served in the Office of Senator John C. Danforth as the Senator’s Office Director and Research Assistant. Heffern received a B.A. from Michigan State University.

“We look forward to a thorough confirmation process that will explore whether Mr. Heffern is prepared to serve as a principled voice for truth and justice about the Armenian Genocide, and a powerful voice for a mutually-beneficial U.S.-Armenia relationship that both builds upon the work of the Armenian American community and reinforces the enduring bonds between the American and Armenian peoples,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

If approved by the Senate, Heffern will replace current Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch who announced that she wouldl leave Armenia in June after her tour of duty concludes. Yovanovitch is expected to return to Washington where she will become US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Northern and Central Europe.