OSKANIAN CALLS FOR ARMENIAN "RE-

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002194 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/SNEC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV AJ AM SUBJECT: OSKANIAN CALLS FOR ARMENIAN "RE- UNIFICATION" ¶1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. -------------- OSKANIAN STUNS DIPLOMATIC CROWD -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Taking advantage of the official reception October 2 on the occasion of the "Day of German Unity," Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian called for "Armenian reunification" first in an Armenian version of his remarks, followed immediately by the same comments in English. Oskanian called for the reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to outbursts of applause (when he made the comment in Armenian) and to stunned, muted chatter when he repeated his remarks in English. -------------- REMARKS PLANNED, THOUGH NOT FULLY SCRIPTED -------------- ¶3. (SBU) One of Oskanian's senior advisors, coming to stand next to us during the remarks, highlighted them, noting that they had been discussed in advance, and that the Minister intended his remarks to refer only to N-K and not to so-called "Western Armenia." With the entire diplomatic corps in attendance, it is unlikely that Oskanian expected his remarks to go unreported. What is not clear is precisely what he hoped to gain with his statement. MFA press spokesman Vladimir Karepetyan backed off Oskanian's remarks somewhat in an October 4 statement, but officially confirmed that, "In his speech on the occasion of the Day of German Unity, Minister Oskanian expressed the hope that one day Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh will have the opportunity to reunite." RICHTER