US EMBASSY IN ARMENIA ONCE AGAIN REFUTES REPORTS OF POSSIBLE WITHDRAWAL OF AMBASSADOR JOHN EVANS
YEREVAN, MARCH 14. ARMINFO. The US Embassy in Armenia has once again
refuted the reports of possible withdrawal of Ambassador John Evans.
This followed the Mar 10 letter of Congressman Frank Pallone,
Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, to US Secretary of State
Candoleezza Rice, where he expressed his extreme disappointment that
Evans “is being forced from office based upon truthful and forthright
statements last year about the Armenian Genocide” and asked for an
explanation as to why Evans was removed from his post.
To remind, in a briefing Mar 7 Evans said that like all diplomats he
served his president. Nobody can expect to hold his office for ever.
He said that he did not know when he was to leave Armenia, but he had
not personally sent in his resignation. He said that he did not know
for how long he would stay in office, but he would stay US ambassador
to Armenia until he went onboard the plane to leave the country.
In this turn, Deputy Assistant Deputy of State for Europe and Eurasia
Matthew Bryza told journalists in Yerevan that there were no plans of
Evans’ withdrawal. He called him an excellent leader of an excellent
team. He said that he would prefer not to comment on the president’s
decisions, including those concerning staff changes.