Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN2686
2004-12-14 12:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS: TIME TO SOLVE N-K

Tags:  PGOV PREL AM IZ RS 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002686 

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SNEC AND EUR/RUS FROM AMBASSADOR EVANS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL AM IZ RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS: TIME TO SOLVE N-K
TOGETHER

REF: A. MOSCOW 15265


B. MOSCOW 15312

Classified By: Ambassador Evans, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002686

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SNEC AND EUR/RUS FROM AMBASSADOR EVANS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL AM IZ RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS: TIME TO SOLVE N-K
TOGETHER

REF: A. MOSCOW 15265


B. MOSCOW 15312

Classified By: Ambassador Evans, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) NEITHER OF THE TWO FINE MOSCOW CABLES UNDER REFERENCE
MENTIONS NAGORNO-KARABAKH AS AN ISSUE IN THE CIS THAT MOSCOW
AND WASHINGTON (AND PARIS) MIGHT RECOMMIT THEMSELVES TO
SOLVING IN THE DISTURBING WAKE OF THE CRISIS IN RELATIONS
OVER UKRAINE. IN A CHAT EARLIER TODAY, THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR AND I SIMULTANEOUSLY HIT ON THE IDEA THAT MOSCOW
AND WASHINGTON NEEDED A SHARED SUCCESS IN THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS, AND THAT,IN VIEW OF THE ENCOURAGING NEWS THAT THE
PRAGUE TALKS HAD BEEN SALVAGED, THIS MIGHT BE AN IDEA WHOSE
TIME HAD COME. I LEAVE IT TO AMBASSADOR MANN AND HIS
COLLEAGUES TO SAY WHETHER THEY STILL "REFUSE TO BE
OPTIMISTIC," BUT VIEWED FROM MY VANTAGE POINT HERE IN LEFT
KAVKAZ, AND AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH OSCE SPECIAL REP
KASPRZYK AS WELL AS FM OSKANIAN FOLLOWING THE SOFIA AND
BRUSSELS MEETINGS, I HAVE A SENSE THAT THERE MAY INDEED
FINALLY BE SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS LONG TUNNEL. THE
CO-CHAIRS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE WORKED VERY WELL TOGETHER OVER
THE LAST TWO WEEKS DESPITE THE BACKGROUND NOISE IN UKRAINE.
N-K, THOUGH EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX, IS ONE ISSUE ON
WHICH RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN VIEWS ARE NOT IN SERIOUS CONFLICT,
WHICH CANNOT BE SAID SO EASILY OF THE GEORGIAN CONFLICTS OR
MOLDOVA/TRANSNISTRIA. OBVIOUSLY MUCH DEPENDS ON THE PARTIES
THEMSELVES, BUT HAVING KEPT THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS ALIVE
AGAINST SOME FORMIDABLE ODDS, PERHAPS THEY CAN NOW BE INDUCED
TO MAINTAIN THE POSITIVE MOMENTUM THAT WE SENSE JUST GETTING
UNDERWAY.

EVANS