Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday received US Ambassador Matthew Bryza over the completion of his tenure, the president’s press service said.

Bryza stressed that US President Barack Obama's congratulatory letter in connection with President Aliyev's 50th birthday indicates his appreciation of the partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan.

Bryza noted that he had paid numerous visits to Azerbaijani regions during his tenure, saying he witnessed that Azerbaijan has a beautiful countryside, an abundant culture and different religious and spiritual values.

President Aliyev praised the development of relations between the two countries and highly assessed Bryza's diplomatic activity in Azerbaijan.

President Obama nominated Bryza for the post of US ambassador to Azerbaijan in May 2010, but his final approval had been stalled by lawmakers for months due to the opposition of several pro-Armenian senators claiming his pro-Azerbaijani bias. The US president in December 2010 bypassed the usual Senate confirmation process to appoint Bryza. However, under US laws, the so-called recess appointment was temporary, lasting only one year, until the Congressional session ends in late 2011. Since Bryza was not approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he is ending his diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan.