High-ranking State Department officials must give an appropriate assessment of Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the U.S. Senate Bob Menendez said during the discussion of Christine Quinn's candidacy for the post of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia on Thursday.

He expressed concern that U.S. diplomats have recently avoided asking Azerbaijan for facts about war crimes. This included the executions of Armenian soldiers and dismemberment of their bodies, numerous videos of which have been published online.

Regarding the proper acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, Chairman Menendez stated “I am glad to see a nominee who actually calls the Armenian Genocide a ‘genocide,’ noting that he had, in the past, stopped nominees who denied the Armenian Genocide in their responses to Senate inquiries

According to the senator, ambassadors to countries in conflict zones should strive to understand the current reality. This, he said, will allow lawmakers to develop appropriate policies.

He explained that the senators also need facts to apply the Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.