Recently, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee postponed the confirmation of Richard Hoagland as the new Ambassador to Armenia to September. The U.S. Senate had decided to call U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans back before the end of his term. The U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan R. Hoagland will replace the current ambassador. Many say that the reason that John Evans is being called back early is the announcement that he made about the Armenian Genocide last February. U.S. President George Bush had nominated Richard Hoagland as ambassador in May. At least one of the senators had to propose postponing the hearings. A couple of days ago, Democrats Joseph Bayden and former presidential candidate John Kerry expressed their concerns to the president of the committee Richard Lugar. J. Bayden says that various senators have asked him to appeal to the committee head.
”The results of the Tuesday hearings gave the U.S. administration a new chance to review the policy of using the right word for the Armenian Genocide. The senators must continue the hearings throughout August so that we can see where we’ll go until September” said executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America Bryan Arduni according to “Azatutyun” radio station.
Speaker for the Armenian National Committee of America Elizabeth Chuljyan said that the postponing means that U.S. Senators are concerned about John Evans’ replacement, the United States’ Armenian Genocide policy and the speech by Richard Hoagland about the Armenian Genocide. Chuljyan says that this can’t be postponed again and the senators must clear things up before making a final decision.
“If Hoagland doesn’t clarify and take back the denial of the Armenian Genocide, then he can’t be appointed as the new U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,” said Elizabeth Chuljyan.