November 22, 2011 - 19:46 AMT
Ambassador Matthew Bryza may be withdrawn from Baku

Ambassador Matthew Bryza remains the only official nominee of the White House to the position of U.S. envoy to Azerbaijan.

Two Senate sources confirmed this, referring to President Barack Obama’s nomination list that sent to the Senate on January, 26, 2011.

However, no nominees from the White House list have been discussed, due to scheduling and other technical problems.

“This is totally routine in our practice”, a source assured, reminding that the latest Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee Business Meeting which was supposed to confirm the nomination of new US ambassador to Russia and 11 other nominees last week, has failed.

“There is still plenty of time till yearend and the senators, hopefully, will find enough time for all of the White House nominees, including the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan,” APA quoted the source as saying.

On December 29, 2010, President Obama gave Ambassador Bryza a one-year recess appointment. On January 26, 2011 a letter to confirm Bryza’s candidacy was sent to Senate. Unless Bryza candidacy is confirmed till yearend, the Ambassador will be withdrawn.

The position of the US ambassador to Azerbaijan had been vacant for six months after Obama took office.