GOAM MOVING TO RATIFY REVISED "ARTICLE 98"

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002796

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, FOR T JCORBETT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV AM
SUBJECT: GOAM MOVING TO RATIFY REVISED "ARTICLE 98"
AGREEMENT -- TIMING SLIPS



1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.


2. (SBU) National Assembly senior staff told us that the
GOAM is pushing to ratify the revised "Article 98"
agreement, but that it will not come up for a vote before
the Spring session (i.e., at the earliest in late February).
With the GOAM focused on (successfully) securing National
Assembly authorization for their Iraq contingent in the
final extraordinary session of the year, the timeline for
the revised "Article 98" agreement slipped. Nonetheless,
the National Assembly anticipates no difficulties and
expects to ratify the agreement during the Spring 2005
session.
EVANS