Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN774
2004-04-01 02:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

REACTION FROM YEREVAN, ARMENIA: AFTER THE

Tags:  KMDR OPRC PGOV PREL KPAO AM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000774 

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: AFTER THE
VISIT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000774

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: AFTER THE
VISIT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE


1. SUMMARY: After the visit of Deputy Secretary of
State Richard Armitage to Armenia all mass media widely
covered his meetings and press conference held in
Yerevan. Following his visit to Azerbaijan, some
Armenian newspapers published editorials discussing the
Armitage visit to the region and U.S. interests in the
region in general. The following is the summary of
those articles. END SUMMARY

ARMITAGE AVOIDED MEETING WITH ARMENIAN OPPOSITION


2. Radical oppositionist Armenian language newspaper of
the "Constitutional Right" Union IRAVUNK (03/30)
discusses the Armitage visit in the light of U.S
interests and concern regarding the countries he
visited as opposed to Russia's interests in the same
countries. "The signs of a clash between two
superpowers are becoming obvious in Ukraine, Armenia
and Azerbaijan. The visit of Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage to these countries should probably be
viewed in this light. In the elections to be held in
Ukraine in October Moscow and Washington are supporting
leaders from two opposite fronts." "The confrontation
will become more severe in the countries of the
Caucasus region, which will acquire the status of a
transit zone for the upcoming ten to fifteen years.
The main arena for this confrontation will be our
region, then Central Asia. The main obstacle for the
implementation of western programs is the lack of
settlement of certain ethnic problems in the South
Caucasus. According to experts in Russia and in the
West, this primarily refers to the Karabakh conflict,
which is the reason for the failure of several
geopolitical programs to be implemented in the region.
According to certain information, currently being
checked, this was the reason for the Armitage visit to
the South Caucasus, where he wanted to meet with the
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and find out about
their inclination and their willingness for a quick
resolution of the conflict. According to the same
sources, Richard Armitage was very satisfied with the
position of official Yerevan, while strongly displeased
with the destructive position of Ilham Aliyev.
Observers believe that this was the reason why Armitage
held meetings with the Azeri opposition while he
avoided meeting with the Armenian opposition."

WASHINGTON UNHAPPY WITH AZERI STATEMENTS ON KARABAKH


3. Pro-government GOLOS ARMENII (03/30) published a
front-page article discussing possible reasons for the
Armitage visit to the region. "Deputy Secretary
Richard Armitage arrived in Baku on the 26th of March
immediately after his official visit to Yerevan.
However, until March 29 there were very few reports
from Baku covering the visit of the high-ranking
official from the White House. Furthermore, it was
noted that of the three capitals visited by Armitage at
the end of March - Kiev, Yerevan, Baku - Baku was the
one with the highest priority. It should be noted that
regional visits of this category involving high-ranking
officials such as Richard Armitage do not happen very
often. Usually this means that, given the expected
developments, Washington prefers to get first hand
information from the region despite the fact that U.S.
Embassies in the countries concerned are providing the
Administration with relevant information. The last
visit of a U.S. Deputy Secretary to Armenian was in

1999. Then-Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott visited
Armenia because at that time it seemed that there were
real opportunities for resolution of the Karabakh
conflict. We think that now things stand differently.
Prior to the visit of R. Armitage Assistant Secretary
Elizabeth Jones mentioned that the Karabakh issue would
be the cornerstone of the talks, and then she made a
minor but very essential addition: `Official
Washington is interested in knowing what the priorities
of the new president and the government of Azerbaijan
are'." "Apparently the White House is not happy with
recent statements by Ilham Aliyev, which to some extent
are disturbing for the international community."

WALKER