R. Morningstar: If I confirmed I will support the efforts of the U.S. Co-Chair, Ambassador Bradtke to reach a settlement for the conflict

As it was already informed the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discussed Richard Morningstar’s candidacy to post of ambassador to Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijani media Morningstar responded the questions about Azerbaijan and the region in hearing presided by Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

At the end of the meeting, Senator Shaheen gave additional 48 hours for the senators to ask questions to the candidate in accordance with procedure.
The candidate Morningstar released a Statement on Azerbaijani-US relations and on his plans if he becomes US Ambassador to Azerbaijan.

“Long before my current position as the Secretary’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, and before my appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, I served as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Assistance for the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. One of the primary goals during that time was the stabilization and the development of the entire South Caucasus region – a goal that we continue to pursue today. I have vivid memories during the 1990s of working through my office to supply fuel oil and wheat to Georgia and Armenia to help them get through some difficult winters. Over the years, I made several trips to all three Caucasus countries.

The United States stands only to gain -- and to reap benefits well into the future -- from an Azerbaijan that is peaceful, democratic, prosperous, and strategically linked to the United States and our European allies. Azerbaijan has enormous potential'', the release reads.

''To achieve a more secure and prosperous future for the region, there is no higher immediate priority for the United States than the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States continues to assist the sides to achieve a peaceful, lasting negotiated settlement of the conflict based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including the Non-Use of Force or Threat of Force, Territorial Integrity, and the Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples.

If confirmed, I will support the Administration’s commitment, at the highest levels, to achieving this goal. I will also support the efforts of the U.S. Co-Chair, Ambassador Robert Bradtke, as we work closely with the sides to reach a settlement. The President, Secretary of State, and Ambassador Bradtke have made major efforts to facilitate a settlement. We must continue these efforts. Only a negotiated settlement can lead to long-term peace and stability in the region'', Morningstar promises.