AAA HOPES THAT MARIE YOVANOVITCH WILL EXERT EVERY TYPE OF EFFORT TO CONSOLIDATE RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND USA IF CONFIRMED TO POST OF AMBASSADOR

arminfo
2008-04-01 16:36:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) considers the
appointment of US ambassador to Armenia to be extremely important,
Director of the AAA Office in Yerevan Arpi Vardanyan told ArmInfo
correspondent, commenting upon the nomination of US ambassador by
George Bush and possible developments in further approvement of the
nominee by the Senate.

She noted that the close bilateral contacts between Armenia and the
Unites States depend on maintenance of the contacts and holding of
consultations at the highest diplomatic level. "Armenia and the USA
share important regional tasks in the sphere of security, economy and
politics. Promotion of these relations is impossible due to the lack
of US ambassador to Armenia", she stressed. She added that George
Bush presented a nominee for the position of the US ambassador to
Armenia. "We expect Marie Yovanovitch to exert every type of effort
to consolidate the important relations between Armenia and the USA
if her nominee is approved by the Senate", she said.

According to the procedure of appointment of the US ambassador, after
the official nomination by the White House, Marie Yovanovitch’s nominee
is to be approved at the hearings at the United States Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations. During the hearings senators will have a chance
to ask questions to Ambassador Yovanovitch. If the Committee approves
her nominee, the hearings will continue at the Senate. At the moment,
the exact date of the hearings at the Committee is not known.

To note, earlier President George Bush nominated Richard Hoagland’s
candidacy to the post of US ambassador to Armenia. But his candidacy
was twice declined by the Senate. In his speeches Hogland cast doubt
about expediency of the Armenian genocide recognition. For this reason
the influential Armenian lobby in the USA and the great majority
of the Armenian society considered Hoagland’s candidacy to the post
inadmissible. At present Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch occupies the
post of US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.