U.S. AMBASSADOR NOMINEE TO ARMENIA WORKED FOR PRO-TURKISH CONGRESSMAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 20, 2011 – 10:43 AMT

The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) expects a rigorous Senate
confirmation process in the months ahead on Barack Obama’s nomination
of John A. Heffern to serve as U.S. ambassador to Armenia.

Current U.S. envoy to Yerevan Marie L. Yovanovitch, nominated by former
President George W. Bush, will conclude her three-year mission in June.

In the mid-1990s, Heffern worked for former Congressman Doug
Bereuter (R-NE) who was consistently one of the most pro-Turkish and
anti-Armenian Representatives to serve in Congress.

Without pre-judging nominee Mr. Heffern personally, he will have a
steep hill to climb in explaining and distinguishing his views from
those of former Congressman Bereuter. For example, in 1995-1996, when
Heffern was on the Congressman’s International Relations Committee
staff, Bereuter voted against several measures aimed to promote not
only Armenia’s interests, but human rights interests around the world.

These measures included, most notably, the Humanitarian Aid Corridor
Act, which prohibits U.S. economic assistance to any country that
impedes or restricts the transfer or delivery of U.S. humanitarian
assistance to another country. Heffern’s former boss also voted against
an amendment to cut $25 million in aid to Turkey, which was proposed
in reference to Turkey’s human rights violations and ongoing blockade
of Armenia. Further, the Congressman voted against an amendment to
cut aid to Turkey until it had “taken all appropriate steps to honor
the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.”

The Assembly hopes Mr. Heffern can successfully climb that hill and
represent America’s views and clear record, not only on the need
to squarely recognize the Armenian Genocide and its consequences,
but also on addressing Azerbaijan’s aggression against the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic to ensure peace in the region with open borders,
respect for human rights and commitment to democracy.

John A. Heffern is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and
currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission
to NATO in Brussels. Prior to his current post, Mr. Heffern served
as Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs
and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia. Mr.

Heffern’s career has also included overseas assignments to Japan,
Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Guangzhou, China.