ARMENIAN MOD TAKES "NO" FOR AN ANSWER

S E C R E T YEREVAN 000085 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/PRA (CONLON) AND NP/ECNP (PARSON) E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2015 TAGS: PARM PREL AM IR SUBJECT: ARMENIAN MOD TAKES "NO" FOR AN ANSWER REF: STATE 9755 Classified By: Amb. John Evans for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (S) Summary: Armenia will comply with a USG request (ref) and will refrain from proceeding with a transfer to Iran of an anti-air missile system. End Summary. ¶2. (S) Ambassador met privately with Armenian Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsian January 19 and conveyed points contained reftel. Sargsian said simply "If the answer is no, then we won't do it." ¶3. (S) Sargsian said he would be traveling to Iran in the first part of February at the invitation of Hassan Ruhani, his counterpart as the Chairman of Iran's National Security Council. Sargsian noted that Ruhani, though a Muslim cleric, was "more intelligent and sensible" than some of his colleagues, and would be mounting a campaign to become Iran's next president. Sargsian, who some observers expect will run for President in 2008, said he last visited Iran two years ago. EVANS