U.S. Senate Committee discusses Ambassador nominee to Azerbaijan

Baku. 5 October. REPORT.AZ/ The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has discussed Earle D. Litzenberger's candidacy for the post of Ambassador to Azerbaijan. Report informs that during the discussions Litzenberger answered the senators' questions.

The ambassadorial nominee thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and State Secretary Mike Pompeo for the trust, noting that if confirmed, he is ready to promote the U.S. interests in Azerbaijan.

He noted that the South Caucasus region is of key importance: "Azerbaijan – the only country to border both Iran and Russia – is an important U.S. partner. Our relationship is important not just to our two countries, but to Azerbaijan’s neighbors and the wider region."

The nominee noted that Azerbaijan has long been a stalwart partner on international security: "After the attacks of September 11, then-Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev was among the first to extend support and to offer close cooperation to combat terrorism.

He also highly evaluated Azerbaijan's contribution to peaceful mission in Afghanistan.

As for Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Litzenberger noted that as Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States continues to work with all sides to achieve a peaceful, lasting negotiated settlement of the conflict based on the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

"If confirmed, I will support the Administration’s commitment to achieving this goal," he said.

Notably, US President Donald Trump nominated Earle Litzenberger for the post of the US ambassador to Azerbaijan. He will be able to take over the office after his candidacy is approved by the US Senate.