Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05YEREVAN2193
2005-12-20 13:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

FM OSKANIAN DISCUSSES A "CONSTRUCTIVE" RESPONSE TO

Tags:  EAID PREL PGOV 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.

201352Z Dec 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002193 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2015
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV AM
SUBJECT: FM OSKANIAN DISCUSSES A "CONSTRUCTIVE" RESPONSE TO
MCC


Classified By: CDA A.F.Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002193

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE, EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2015
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV AM
SUBJECT: FM OSKANIAN DISCUSSES A "CONSTRUCTIVE" RESPONSE TO
MCC


Classified By: CDA A.F.Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) During a December 20 meeting with Charge d'Affaires
Godfrey, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said he had
discussed the recent Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
announcement and accompanying letter with President Robert
Kocharian and said that the GOAM was not rushing to respond,
but instead "waiting to submit a constructive response."
Oskanian predicted that the announcement would receive wide
coverage in the local media and assured us that the GOAM's
media strategy would not omit the conditionalities raised in
Ambassador Danilovich's letter to Kocharian. The Charge
underscored that the MCA process was a chance for Armenia to
make significant economic and democratic progress but
reminded Oskanian of the importance of all three points laid
out in the MCC letter -- especially investigation of
electoral fraud -- and the seriousness with which Washington
is discussing Armenia's MCC compact process. End Summary.

-------------- --------------
"EXCITEMENT DAMPENED" BUT A "GOOD STARTING POINT"
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Charge met with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
December 20 to discuss the recent announcement of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation Board's approval of a
compact with Armenia. Overall, Oskanian was upbeat about the
news of the MCC Board approval. He admitted, however, that
the November 27 referendum and the overall tone of the
announcement had "dampened the initial excitement"
surrounding the announcement. Oskanian welcomed Ambassador
Danilovich's letter to President Kocharian, calling it
"to-the-point" and a "good starting point" for further
cooperation.

--------------
NOT IN A RUSH, WAITING ON PRESIDENT'S HEALTH
--------------


3. (C) Oskanian said that he had discussed the announcement
and letter with President Kocharian but said that the GOAM
did not want to rush into a premature response. Oskanian
said he wanted to coordinate the GOAM's official reaction and
added that the GOAM was "waiting to submit a constructive

response." He noted that Kocharian had been ill for the past
48 hours and that the two had not been able to meet
personally to discuss the issue, thus slowing down the
process. Oskanian predicted that the story of the MCC Board
approval would get wide coverage in the local media. (Note:
Armenian newspapers do not publish on Mondays and television
stories are filed early in the day. We do not expect
widespread local media coverage of the announcement until
December 21. End Note.) Oskanian assured us that the GOAM's
media strategy would not omit the conditionalities raised in
Ambassador Danilovich's letter to Kocharian. He pledged that
USG language "warning" the GOAM would be part of the
government's formal announcement.

--------------
FOCUSING ON "INVESTIGATING WRONGDOING"
--------------


4. (C) Oskanian pressed for specifics on what the USG sought
in response to Ambassador Danilovich's letter to Kocharian.
He outlined a proposed response which included an assurance
that the GOAM would respect citizens' rights, an
acknowledgment of the shortcomings of the referendum and a
pledge to conduct free and fair elections in 2007 and 2008.
In response, the Charge read from Ambassador Danilovich's
letter about the need for the GOAM to acknowledge,
investigate and prosecute wrongdoing during the November 27
referendum, which was absent from Oskanian's proposal.
Oskanian outlined what he called the "legal guidelines
governing investigations of this kind" but agreed with our
point that Washington might view this approach as an attempt
to hide behind regulations instead of taking corrective
action against fraud. Oskanian said he would coordinate a
meeting with Armenia's Prosecutor General to see what options
were available to address the issue. He said he would
highlight the importance of this point with President
Kocharian and gave his guarantee that it would be part of the
GOAM's response.

-------------- -
COMMENT: HELPING OSKANIAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT
-------------- -


5. (C) Oskanian understands that Armenia stands to lose a lot
-- both in terms of the MCA process and its international
reputation -- if the GOAM does not step up to the plate and
address recent backsliding on democratic governance. Getting
the President and Prime Minister to take responsibility for
the current situation and take the necessary actions,
however, is a tall order. We will need to engage other camps
within the GOAM so that Oskanian's message can take root. In
the meantime, we will continue to manage the media cycle and
engage our GOAM counterparts so that the spirit of Ambassador
Danilovich's letter to Kocharian doesn't get lost. Recent
statements by the Prime Minister and National Assembly
Speaker regarding electoral fraud (septel) suggest that
high-level GOAM officials are acknowledging that the November
27 referendum did not meet international standards. If the
MCC announcement can create enough political momentum, it
could produce some action to go with these statements.
GODFREY