(PanARMENIAN.Net) - Democrat Senator Robert Menendez took advantage of his veto power on January 10 blocking Richard Hoagland's nomination as US ambassador to Armenia, the Associated Press reports. It's worth mentioning that when the new 110th US Congress started its work, President George Bush for the second time proposed R. Hoagland's candidacy for US ambassador post to Armenia. It's worth reminding the strong negative attitude towards Richard Hoagland's nomination is connected with his public denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Empire, reports Trend.
Despite the protests, R. Hoagland's nominations was examined and confirmed. As Robert Menendez stated, many politicians, including the US president, avoid to call the crimes at the beginning of 20th century in Turkey as Genocide', and Richard Hoagland's nomination can become a step back, which does not proceed nether from the interests of Armenia nor the Armenian Diaspora. It is worth mentioning that after elections to the Congress at the end of the last year, US Senate, according to the order, returned Hoagland's candidacy to the president. Simultaneously Senators Robert Menendez and Harry Reid called upon the president to propose a new candidacy.