DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CONVENTION ON CULTURAL

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000884 SIPDIS SENSITIVE IO/T FOR JANE COWLEY, EUR/CACEN FOR STEVE BANKS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD SCUL AM UNESCO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CONVENTION ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY REF: STATE 89776 ¶1. (SBU) Post delivered demarche talking points to relevant GOAM offices May 17 per reftel instructions. Initial reaction from the GOAM indicated that the Cultural Diversity Convention had not yet appeared on the radar screens of the offices in question. As a relatively new member of the WTO, the GOAM has expressed its desire to be viewed as a "helpful" partner with the USG. We suspect that this prevailing attitude, together with the demarche as delivered, will inspire a more concrete position on the part of the GOAM in advance of the May 25 negotiating session. ¶2. (SBU) Post deliverd talking points to Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Organizations Department Chief Valery Mkrtumyan, Ministry of Trade and Economic Developent Acting Chief of Foreign Policy Artur Manucharyan and Ministry of Culture Foreign Relations Department Chief Susanna Khachatryan. ¶3. (U) Point of contact at Post is Pol/Econ Officer Aaron Sherinian (SherinianAH@state.gov). EVANS