Senate approves Bryza's nomination but Sen. Boxer places hold on it

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) announced Tuesday evening that she has placed a “hold” on U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan nominee Matthew Bryza, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The Senator’s decision followed a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote earlier today to approve his nomination by voice vote, despite serious concerns regarding the Ambassador-designate’s unusually close ties to Azerbaijani government officials, his troubling track record as a senior diplomat dealing with the Caucasus, and persistent conflict of interest issues related to the Caspian energy industry. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Boxer both spoke and voted against the Bryza nomination.

“Thanks to Senator Boxer, US diplomacy dodged a bullet today,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “It would have been a serious mistake – both for US strategic interests and for hopes of lasting peace in the Caucasus – to have sent Matt Bryza to Baku amid escalating threats of renewed war by Azerbaijan’s leaders. Given his track record, he clearly would have been the wrong diplomat, at the wrong time, in exactly the wrong post. We are deeply grateful to Senator Boxer for preventing this grave diplomatic misstep and for all of Senator Menendez’s leadership and hard work on this issue.”

Hamparian added, “Our nation’s important diplomatic work in Azerbaijan can now get off to a fresh start, one without the bias and baggage that Matt Bryza would have brought to this pivotal position. Our hope now is that the President will nominate a new candidate who will openly stand up to Azerbaijan’s aggression and forcefully deter its march toward renewed war against Nagorno Karabakh.”

Sen. Boxer’s hold prevents fast-tracked Senate consideration of the Bryza nomination, effectively blocking his confirmation for this ambassadorial post. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) took a similar action in 2006, preventing the appointment of US Ambassador to Armenia nominee Richard Hoagland, who denied the Armenian Genocide during his Senate confirmation process.

In her remarks during Tuesday’s Committee meeting, Senator Boxer explained that she voted against the Bryza nomination because he had not demonstrated the willingness or the ability to meaningfully confront Azerbaijan’s aggression.

“Despite my appreciation for Mr. Bryza’s long service as a Foreign Service Officer, I don’t believe he is the right person for this position,” explained Senator Boxer. “What concerns me is that Mr. Bryza has demonstrated a pattern of unwillingness to speak out forcefully in the face of increasing Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh.”

Senator Menendez, who has played a leadership role throughout the Bryza confirmation process, noted that he had “serious reservations about the US ambassador nominee to Azerbaijan,” citing Bryza’s inaction in the face of Azerbaijan’s desecration of the Djulfa cemetery and opposition to Armenian Genocide affirmation; and, “very close personal ties to Turkey and Azerbaijan, and therefore about his ability to act as an unbiased representative of the United States in Azerbaijan.”

According to Asbarez.com, even Senators voting in favor of Bryza expressed worries about his nomination. The panel’s Chairman, John Kerry (D-MA), stated that he appreciated the concerns raised by Senators Menendez and Boxer and anticipated continued Senate scrutiny. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) issued a statement following the vote, stating that he found concerns raised by constituents and others “troubling, particularly Mr. Bryza’s relationship with the Azerbaijan Government.”