ARMENIA: MEDIA REACTION TO CODEL HAGEL

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000989

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INR/R/MR-STHIBEAULT, EUR/PPD-JQUINTUS AND JBASEDOW,
EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS, EUR, EUR/ACE, EUR/SNEC, EUR/SE

E.O. 12958; N/A
TAGS: KMDR KCFE OPRC PREL KPAO ZJ AM RU
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: MEDIA REACTION TO CODEL HAGEL


1. SUMMARY: On June 3, Senator Hagel led a delegation to
Armenia which met with President Robert Kocharian and
Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsyan, and which reviewed
Armenia's peacekeeping battalion. Following these meetings,
Senator Hagel held a press conference with more than 20
media outlets. Media coverage was moderate, slightly less
than expected. Coverage focused on the Senator's remarks
regarding the transfer of Russian military equipment from
Georgia to Armenia and on Senator Hagel's remarks regarding
the Armenian tragedy of 1915. END SUMMARY

THE TRANSFER OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO ARMENIA FROM
GEORGIA IS NEGATIVE FOR ARMENIA


2. In a lengthy article on Senator Hagel's press conference,
the radical oppositionist daily HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK reported
on 6/3/05 that Senator Hagel views the transfer of Russian
military equipment from Georgia to Armenia as negative for
Armenia. According to the daily, "The Senator mentioned
that the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia
is good news...for Georgia. By analogy, this good news for
Georgia is bad news for Armenia because some of the bases
are being relocated to Armenia."


3. INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY on 6/3/05 took Senator Hagel's
comments on Russian military bases a step further, stating,
"U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel said the possible transfer of
weapons from Russian military bases in Georgia to bases in
Armenia would endanger the regional balance of power in view
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict." (From the transcript:
Senator Hagel in fact stated, "This is an issue between the
two governments of Russia and Armenia...I think it has
always been the policy of the United States...that the
military presence of other nations in sovereign nations is
not helpful in regions of the world where we are trying to
bring peace and prosperity and settle very serious conflicts
like Nagorno Karabakh.")


4. ARMENIA LIBERTY also focused on the issue of Russian
military bases. According to a 6/3/05 article, Senator
Hagel "signaled U.S. unease over Russian military presence
in the country as he visited Yerevan at the head of a U.S.
government delegation comprising senior military officials."

"GENOCIDE" SHOULD BE LEFT TO HISTORIANS


5. AZG, a center-right daily, reported on 6/3/05 that
Senator Hagel urged Armenia not to focus on the tragedy of

1915. According to the newspaper, "The issue of the
Armenian genocide is not of great interest to the Senator;
he is mainly focused on current issues."


6. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK stated that Senator Hagel's "'Haylur'
style changed with his ideas expressed on genocide. In
particular, when answering a question on genocide, Senator
Hagel stated that the issue should be openly discussed by
historians." (NOTE: "Haylur" is a news program on state
television on which Armenian government officials regularly
express the GOAM view on issues. Haykakan Zhamanak implied
that Senator Hagel expressed a different view than that of
the Administration. END NOTE.)

EVANS