Azerbaijani community in US sends letters to senators opposing Matthew Bryza's candidacy

The Azerbaijani Diaspora members in US sent a letter to Senator Barbara Boxer who opposes Matthew Bryza’s candidacy as an Ambassador to Azerbaijan.

“Your placing of a hold – twice -- on the President Obama’s nominee for the position of the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Matthew Bryza, has greatly surprised and disappointed the Azerbaijani-American community, who are active members of the US Azeris Network (USAN), the largest Azerbaijani-American grassroots advocacy organization, and on whose behalf we are writing to you to express our sentiment as a community”, - the authors said.

The letter expresses Azeri Diaspora great disturbance by senator’s recent statements in the Senate about the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

“These statements are not only insulting to the Azerbaijani-American community, but also happen to violate the official position of the U.S. government, go against facts on the ground. We hope that you are not kowtowing to the Armenian special interest groups such as ANCA, with its leadership such as its former chairman Mourad Topalian convicted of terrorism charges, in light of the election year”.

The authors remind that Bryza, an experienced and professional diplomat nominated by President Obama to be the next Ambassador to Azerbaijan, has been taking heat from both Azerbaijani and Armenian sides for many years. Neither side considers him to be in their favor, everyone knows he is a fair candidacy.

The Diaspora is also concerned about Boxer’s misleading allegation in the Senate about “increasing Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh”. Azerbaijanis remind to the Senator, that “Nagorno-Karabakh” is not an independent state, but an integral region within Azerbaijan, and that region along with several others have been illegally occupied by Armenia’s military for some two decades.

“We value your serving of your constituents and appreciate your responses to the Azerbaijani-American community, however, we would like you to closely examine your statements in the future and do a more thorough research on Azerbaijan and the U.S.-Azerbaijan allied relations” – urged the American Azerbaijanis community.

The Azerbaijani Diaspora also sent a similar letter to the Senator of the Colorado state Michael Bennett.


/APA/