RA Foreign Minister hopes for soonest arrival of U.S. Ambassador in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed appointment of new U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.



"I hope for soonest arrival of the new Ambassador, what will encourage development of the Armenian-U.S. relations," Minister Nalbandian said, the RA MFA press office said.



On March 28, 2008, Pres. Bush nominated Marie L. Yovanovitch to serve as America's next Ambassador to Armenia.



U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for the new ambassador-elect were postponed because the State Department has delayed responding to Senators' questions about her position on Armenian Genocide recognition.



"We remain troubled by Ambassador Yovanovitch's evasive answers, her outright non-responses, and her refusal, in her replies to Senator Obama and other Senators, to offer anything approaching a reasonable or factually supportable explanation of the reasons behind Administration's misguided policy on the Armenian Genocide," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.



Bush's previous nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, was subject to two legislative holds by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and was ultimately withdrawn by the Administration, following the nominee's statements denying the Armenian Genocide.



The position of Ambassador to Armenia has been unfilled since Ambassador John Evans was recalled two years ago by the Bush Administration for recognizing the Armenian Genocide.