SENATE PANEL TO CONSIDER AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE FOR ARMENIA

July 13th Hearing will be Broadcast Live by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

July 6, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider President Obama’s nomination of John A. Heffern to serve as Ambassador to Armenia during a hearing on Wednesday, July 13th at 3:00 pm that will be webcast live on the panel’s website, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We encourage all the members of the Foreign Relations Committee to be on hand next Wednesday to question Ambassador-Designate Heffern about his qualifications and candidacy for this important diplomatic posting,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “We are hopeful that Senators will also take full advantage of the opportunity afforded by this hearing to seek clarification regarding the Obama Administration’s position on a range of foreign policy issues related to the Caucasus region. Among these, of course, are a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide; a free and fair settlement of Nagorno Karabakh based on democracy and self-determination, and; the promotion of U.S.-Armenia economic relations through targeted programs and bilateral agreements to increase trade and investment.”

The hearing, which will be led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Chairwoman of the panel’s subcommittee dealing with European affairs, affords members the opportunity to exercise their advise and consent responsibilities by reviewing candidates for diplomatic posts, conducting oversight of executive branch activities, and exploring the various policy issues related to their future responsibilities.

The hearing will be webcast live at: http://foreign.senate.gov/

Heffern is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having served, most recently, as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. delegation to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. Prior to this posting, Heffern served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia. Heffern’s career has also included overseas assignments to Japan, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Guangzhou, China. From 1994-1996, Heffern served as a Pearson Fellow on the Asia Sub-Committee for the House International Relations Committee. Prior to entering the Foreign Service, Heffern served in the Office of Senator John C. Danforth as the Senator’s Office Director and Research Assistant. Heffern received a B.A. from Michigan State University.

If approved by the Senate, Heffern will replace Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch, who has returned from Yerevan to serve as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Northern and Central Europe.

The members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are listed below:

Majority
John Kerry (D-MA) – Chairman
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Robert P. Casey, Jr (D-PA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Christopher Coons (D-DE)
Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
Tom Udall (D-CO)

Minority
Richard Lugar (R-IN) – Ranking Member
Bob Corker (R-TN)
James E. Risch (R-ID)
Marco Rubio (R-FL)
James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
John Barrasso (R-WY)
Mike Lee (R-UT)

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