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The Washington Times
June 22, 2012 Friday
Embassy Row: WAITING FOR MORNINGSTAR
By James Morrison
Azerbaijan, an oil-rich Central Asian nation and key U.S. ally, has
had no American ambassador since January and is growing restless for
U.S. diplomatic attention.
"It is necessary to appoint an ambassador to our country for the
dynamic development of Azerbaijani-U.S. relations," presidential
spokesman Elnur Aslanov told reporters this week in the Azeri capital,
Baku.
In Washington, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday
approved President Obama's nominee for the position, Richard
Morningstar, a career diplomat.
If confirmed by the full Senate, Mr. Morningstar would replace the
controversial Matthew Bryza, whom Mr. Obama appointed for a temporary,
yearlong term during a congressional recess in 2010.
Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Barbara Boxer of California,
both Democrats, tried to block Mr. Bryza's nomination because they
suspected he was too biased in his support for Azerbaijan in its
ethnic and territorial disputes with neighboring Armenia.
Both senators draw strong support from Armenian-Americans, a small but
influential voting bloc.
From: A. Papazian
June 22, 2012 Friday
Embassy Row: WAITING FOR MORNINGSTAR
By James Morrison
Azerbaijan, an oil-rich Central Asian nation and key U.S. ally, has
had no American ambassador since January and is growing restless for
U.S. diplomatic attention.
"It is necessary to appoint an ambassador to our country for the
dynamic development of Azerbaijani-U.S. relations," presidential
spokesman Elnur Aslanov told reporters this week in the Azeri capital,
Baku.
In Washington, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday
approved President Obama's nominee for the position, Richard
Morningstar, a career diplomat.
If confirmed by the full Senate, Mr. Morningstar would replace the
controversial Matthew Bryza, whom Mr. Obama appointed for a temporary,
yearlong term during a congressional recess in 2010.
Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Barbara Boxer of California,
both Democrats, tried to block Mr. Bryza's nomination because they
suspected he was too biased in his support for Azerbaijan in its
ethnic and territorial disputes with neighboring Armenia.
Both senators draw strong support from Armenian-Americans, a small but
influential voting bloc.
From: A. Papazian