Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN739
2004-03-29 01:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

REACTION FROM YEREVAN, ARMENIA: PRESS

Tags:  KMDR OPRC PGOV PREL KPAO AM 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000739 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR-STHIBEAULT, EUR/PPD-MLOGSDON AND
SRUEDY, EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS, EUR, EUR/ACE, EUR/SNEC,
EUR/SE

E.O. 12958; N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC PGOV PREL KPAO AM
SUBJECT: REACTION FROM YEREVAN, ARMENIA: PRESS
CONFERENCE OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD
ARMITAGE


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000739

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR-STHIBEAULT, EUR/PPD-MLOGSDON AND
SRUEDY, EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS, EUR, EUR/ACE, EUR/SNEC,
EUR/SE

E.O. 12958; N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC PGOV PREL KPAO AM
SUBJECT: REACTION FROM YEREVAN, ARMENIA: PRESS
CONFERENCE OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD
ARMITAGE



1. SUMMARY: All mass media widely covered the March 26
press conference held by Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan
after his meeting with President Kocharian. Among
forty invited representatives of mass media, ten
represented foreign media outlets. TV reports were
mainly accurate and factual. The newspapers carried
some comments on the Deputy Secretary's answers at the
press conference as well as on his visit in general.
Much commentary focused on his statement that a certain
amount of progress was achieved at Key West, as opposed
to concrete agreements. The following is the summary
of those articles. END SUMMARY

ARMENIA IS A VERY IMPORTANT COUNTRY IN THE REGION TO
THE UNITED STATES


2. Centrist Armenian language daily AZG (03/27) focused
on the fact that Richard Armitage did not meet
Armenia's opposition while he will do that in
Azerbaijan. "The above mentioned comments made by
Armitage need some clarifications. What does the
phrase "we thought that we had been missing a bit of
interaction with Armenia" mean? It was not stated
clearly whether it refers to the 2003 presidential and
parliamentary elections or U.S.-Armenian relations in
general. We should remind you that Washington did not
congratulate President Kocharian on his re-election and
criticized the parliamentary elections. The fact that
only in Armenia Armitage did not meet with the
opposition in the countries scheduled for the visit
also needs some clarifications. The American diplomat
definitely had been informed about the tension in the
internal political situation of Armenia. This raises a
question, whether not meeting opposition means that
Armitage wanted to defuse the tension or that he did
not want to encourage the opposition." "On the eve of
his visit the U.S. State Department released a
statement saying that during his visits to Ukraine,
Armenia and Azerbaijan Armitage, in addition to
official meetings, will also meet with political
leaders and groups. It can be assumed that today,

besides the official talks in Baku, Armitage will meet
with the opposition leaders, namely with Isa Gambar
(sp.) from "Musafat" party and Ali Qerimli (sp.) from
"National Front." The Azeri mass media say that by
this Armitage wants to win over the opposition. It is
known that the Deputy Secretary of State had good
friendly relations with the late Heydar Aliyev and now
he continues these friendly relations with his son,
Ilham Aliyev. During one of the conversations Richard
Armitage told Ilham Aliyev that the latter resembles
his father and that is why he [Armitage}has a special
respect for Ilham. By the way, the opposition in
Azerbaijan is condemning Armitage for a decline of
democracy in Azerbaijan."

ONLY PROGRESS


3. Oppositionist Armenian daily HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK
(03/27) published a front-page short report calling
some statements made by the Deputy Secretary
sensational. "Yesterday U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage made a sensational statement saying
that there were no agreements reached in Key West but
only progress. The statement is sensational taking
into account the fact that the Foreign Ministry of
Armenia has been trying not only to convince us that
some agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan on
Karabakh were reached at Key West, but also has been
insisting that those agreements were put on paper. The
Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan has been insisting on
the opposite with the same persistence. In fact,
Armitage yesterday confirmed what they [Azerbaijan]
have been saying."

ACCORDING TO U.S. THERE WAS PROGRESS NOT AN AGREEMENT


4. Dashnak-affiliated HAYOTS ASHKHAR (03/27) also
focused on Armitage's answer regarding the Key West
agreements. "Armitage as a participant of Key West
talks did not deny the fact of agreements, but as a
diplomat he tried to present it in such a way that he
would not put the president of Azerbaijan in a
difficult situation before his [Armitage's] visit to
Azerbaijan." "R. Armitage insisted on the necessity of
continuation of negotiations even after the comment
made by one of the journalists saying that Azerbaijan
expressed misgivings regarding the activities of the
OSCE Minsk group."

NOT AGREEMENTS BUT PROGRESS


5. Oppositionist Armenian daily ARAVOT (03/27) wrote:
"The priorities of the United States foreign policy can
be easily identified by the "ranks" of U.S. officials
visiting different regions. For example, U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Iraq, and

SIPDIS
sometimes Afghanistan. His Deputy Armitage is visiting
CIS countries, and the South Caucasus in particular.
Mr. Armitage actually proved this during his press
conference yesterday held at the Presidential Palace."
I AM HERE TO TRY TO REINVIGORATE POLITICAL TALKS


6. Pro-government Russian language newspaper NOVOYE
VREMYA (03/27) published comments on Key West talks and
Armitage's participation in them. "In Key West he
personally took part in the talks, and according to
him, Heydar Aliyev faced serious difficulties in his
fatherland when upon his return he presented the
discussed proposal for resolution of the conflict.
Perhaps there is a small contradiction here. If there
was no agreement what kind of "certain progress" can we
talk about? It is also not clear why Aliyev faced
difficulties if there were no agreements."

RICHARD ARMITAGE ANSWERS QUESTIONS


7. Pro-government Russian language newspaper GOLOS
ARMENII (03/27) published a mainly factual report on
the press conference with only one commentary. "In the
best traditions of American abstruseness was the answer
to a question about Baku's unwillingness to sit at the
negotiation table, which was demonstrated by the recent
statement by the Azeri authorities to postpone the
meeting scheduled by the OSCE Minsk group to be held in
Prague."


WALKER