U.S. CHARGE D’AFFAIRE WRAPPING UP HIS DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ARMENIA

ARKA News Agency
Oct 24 2007
Armenia

YEREVAN, October 24. /ARKA/. U.S. Charge d’Affaires Rudolf Perina
is wrapping up his diplomatic mission in Armenia, U.S. Embassy Press
Secretary Tagui Jahikyan reported on Wednesday.

She said Perina would fly to Washington on Friday. In her words,
U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Joseph Pennington will temporarily fulfil
the duties of charge d’affaires.

Position of U.S. ambassador to Armenia remains vacant.

U.S. Congress hasn’t upheld President Bush’s nominee Richard Hoagland,
who was nominated to succeed John Evans, who was recalled by White
House in September 2006. The early recall was prompted by the
ambassador’s repeated statements on Armenian Genocide fact recognition.

Unlike Evans, Hoagland expressed obvious unwillingness to qualify mass
killings of Armenians in Ottoman Empire as genocide. That’s why his
candidacy was voted down by the Congress, thanks to Armenian lobby’s
and Senator Robert Menendez’s efforts.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress