Azernews.Az

The interests of Azerbaijan coincide with the priorities of US foreign policy, Richard Morningstar, a candidate for the post of US ambassador to Azerbaijan, said last Wednesday.

Addressing a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Morningstar termed Azerbaijan as a dependable partner in the field of security.

He also said the two countries should continue cooperating to improve the conditions of democracy and achieve changes in legislative issues in Azerbaijan.

If approved as ambassador, Morningstar promised to do everything possible to strengthen relations between Azerbaijan and the U.S.

Touching upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Morningstar said that the solution to the conflict is important not only for Azerbaijan and Armenia, but the whole region. ``To achieve a more secure and prosperous future for the region, there is no higher immediate priority for the United States than a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,`` said the ambassadorial nominee.

Morningstar noted that a settlement of the conflict will create new economic opportunities for Armenia and benefit the countries involved in the conflict and the whole region as well.

The conflict resolution will enable Azerbaijan to focus attention on political environment and security, Morningstar said.

During the hearing it was announced that Morningstar`s candidacy would be voted upon in the Senate in 48 hours.

The United States has not had an ambassador in Baku since the departure of Matthew Bryza in January 2012. Bryza, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary, was appointed by President Barack Obama bypass the Senate in December 2010 under a so-called recess appointment. But he had to end his one-year diplomatic mission and return to Washington after his final approval in the Senate was blocked by several pro-Armenian senators claiming his pro-Azerbaijani bias.

Late in May, Obama nominated Morningstar, a former ambassador to the European Union and currently the special envoy for Eurasian energy issues, to be the next ambassador in Baku.