TFUS01: ARMENIAN OFFER OF ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001596 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR HURRICANE TASK FORCE, EUR/CACEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ECON AEMR ASEC AMGT AM SUBJECT: TFUS01: ARMENIAN OFFER OF ASSISTANCE REF: STATE 162226 ¶1. (U) The Republic of Armenia has offered to send as many as thirty trained rescue workers to the U.S. at its own expense to assist in search and rescue operations in New Orleans. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) President Kocharian's Chief of Staff called Ambassador the afternoon of September 2 to make the offer on behalf of President Kocharian. His call was followed by one from the head of the Armenian equivalent of FEMA, Major-General Eduard Barseghyan. Barseghyan passed the phone to COL Sergey Nikolayevich Azaryan, who provided the following details of what they have available: -- up to thirty trained rescuers who have participated in international competitions and in rescue operations in Turkey, Iran and Georgia (earthquakes in the first two cases, floods in Georgia); -- the rescue personnel are fully equipped for all kinds of operations, including diving, life-saving and removing people from buildings. They can operate watercraft; -- five of the thirty personnel are English speakers, one fluent, the other four passable; -- they have a doctor of their own. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador thanked the officials for their offer and promised to convey it without delay to Washington, explaining that a task force had been set up to match needs with capabilities, and that the task force would have to consider the offer. Contact numbers were exchanged. Main duty number of the Armenan Emergency Management Agency is (374-10) 53-87-75, but because of the language barrier, we suggest that any communications be routed through the Embassy. Embassy duty officer is Ed Schack (INL). Russian speakers currently at post include the Ambassador and Pol/Econ Chief Cynthia Doell. EVANS