February 8, 2007 - 16:05 AMT
AAA: George Bush not to nominate ambassador to Armenia bypassing Senate's confirmation
President George Bush will hardly use his power and will not nominate Richard Hoagland as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, bypassing Senate's confirmation, said to a press conference in Yerevan AAA (Armenian Assembly of America) Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Arpi Vartanian. "Ambassador's absence in Yerevan badly reflects on Armenian-American relations, moreover the Armenian government has already agreed to Richard Hoagland's nomination. Here AAA's viewpoint differs from ANCA's (Armenian National Committee of America) stance. It's all the same for us who the ambassador will be, since in any case he will express the policy of U.S. government and the Bush administration. Our goal is not to change ambassador's candidacy but the general direction of American foreign policy," underscored Vartanian.