U.S. ASKS ARMENIA TO GIVE ITS CONSENT FOR NOMINATION OF NEW AMBASSADOR
ARMENPRESS
March 25, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS: Tigran Balayan, head of the foreign
ministry’s press division, confirmed today that the Armenian
authorities were asked by the U.S. counterparts to give their consent
to Washington’s nomination of a new ambassador to Yerevan.
But he declined to reveal the name of the new ambassador. He said
the U.S. Senate will be asked to endorse the nomination only after
the official Yerevan gives its accord.
Meantime, Harut Sassounian, the publisher of the Los-Angeles-based
The California Courier, said that according to several Armenian and
American reliable sources the Bush Administration has submitted to
the Armenian government the name of Marie L. Yovanovitch as the
next Ambassador to Armenia. He said she is currently serving as
U.S. Ambassador to the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan.
After previous ambassador, John Evans was recalled for using the term
Armenian Genocide the Bush administration nominated Richard Hoagland to
replace Evans, but his nomination was blocked by Sen. Robert Menendez
in protest against the dismissal of Amb.
Evans and objection to Amb. Headland’s poor choice of words in
responding to Senators’ questions on the validity of the Armenian
Genocide.