IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER LURES HIS ARMENIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001286

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/CARC, NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2011
TAGS: PREL AM IR
SUBJECT: IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER LURES HIS ARMENIAN
COUNTERPART OFF THE RESERVATION


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


1. (C) SUMMARY: Speaking alongside the visiting Iranian
Mejlis Speaker, Armenian Parliament Speaker Torosian made
remarks suggesting troubling new dimensions to the
Armenian-Iran relationship, and implicitly supporting Iran's
position in the current debate over Iran's nuclear program.
We think Torosian, the relatively inexperienced, caretaker
parliament speaker, probably wandered beyond his government's
position. Emboffs communicated concerns to the MFA and
National Assembly. END SUMMARY


2. (U) MEDIA QUOTES GRAB ATTENTION: The Iranian Mejlis
Speaker, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, visited Yerevan on a two-day
visit September 11-12. The most eye-catching headlines
emerged from Adel's joint press conference with Armenian
Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian. Accoring to press
reports, Haddad-Adel said the two had spoken of a possible
second Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline, perhaps capable of
exporting Iranian gas on to Georgia and on to Europe.
Torosian commented that the two countries had agreed to
assist each other by representing one another's views in
various international fora in which one and not the other
might participate. Torosian also commented that "no country
or group of countries must use their powers at one or another
point to restrict other countries' rights." Torosian went on
to call for peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue
through negotiations and in accordance with international
treaties.


3. (C) FOOT-SHUFFLING FROM PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL: Polchief met
Vahruzhan Nercissiants, the chief foreign policy adviser of
the National Assembly (a career diplomat seconded to the
parliament staff),to inquire about the Iranian visit and
seek clarification of Torosian's comments. Nercissiants
downplayed the significance of the overall visit and of the
specific comments. He characterized the visit as purely a
matter of routine courtesies that did not signal any shifts
in Armenian policy. He observed that Armenia has an
important interest in maintaining relations with Iran, as the
latter is a very important trade route to the Persian Gulf
and energy supplier for land-locked Armenia.


4. (C) NUCLEAR PROBLEM: Nercissiants, who said he had been
in the meeting, claimed that Torosian's message to Iran had
been clear that, although Iran had a right to pursue peaceful
nuclear energy, Iran must observe both the letter and spirit
of applicable international law. He said Haddad-Abel
complained that the "superpowers" were unfairly pressuring
Iran. Polchief commented that the press spin clearly
suggested that Torosian was taking Iran's side against the
international community's effort to bring Iran into
compliance with its obligations. Nercissiants insisted this
was not the correct interpretation, and understood why we
would object to this kind of posture from Armenia.


5. (C) INTERNATIONAL FORA/GAS PIPELINE: Nercissiants said
that the proposal to represent each other's interests in
international organizations had little substance to it, but
arose mainly out of an Armenian request to Iran to counteract
any Azerbaijani propaganda regarding N-K and related issues
in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other
such fora to which Armenia would not be invited. There was
no equivalent specific request from the Iranian side.
Polchief suggested that Torosian's remarks created the
appearance that Armenia sided with Iran and against the U.S.
and the international community at the height of the current
dispute before the U.N. Security Council. To imply that each
country might speak for the other in international
organizations suggested an even closer level of mutual
friendship, and was unfortunately timed. Polchief suggested
Armenia might wish to think carefully before casting itself
in such a light. Polchief also noted that a gas pipeline that
exported Iranian gas through Armenia to Georgia and other
countries could be a serious concern under U.S. sanctions
law. Nercissiants promised to relay all our concerns to the
speaker. He said that any second gas pipeline was very
speculative at the moment, and years away.


6. (C) MFA CAUGHT OFFGUARD: Econoff used a previously
scheduled meeting with Deputy FM Arman Kirakossian also to
inquire about Torosian's remarks with the Iranian speaker.
Like Nercissiants, Kirakossian also described the Mejlis
Speaker's stop as purely a courtesy visit. He was quite
surprised by the point on international organizations, saying
he had been in the meeting between Torosian and Haddad-Adel,
and had heard no such discussion. On the pipeline,
Kirakossian said this was a new proposal, floated for the
first time from the Iranian side. Econoff reiterated our

YEREVAN 00001286 002 OF 002


Iran-Libya Sanctions Act concerns. Kirakossian only replied
obliquely that it was a "delicate time" all around.


7. (C) COMMENT: Our feeling is that Torosian--trying to play
the statesman and unaccustomed to the role--said more than he
should have to please his Iranian guest. We guess that
little or nothing will come of these initiatives, and that
the Iranian Mejlis Speaker's visit will in the end amount to
little more than diplomatic pleasantries. Still, it is an
unfortunate time for the Armenian speaker to be freelancing
on Iran policy or seem to cozy up to the southern neighbors.
We can hope that Torosian will over time mature into the job,
and learn not to over-reach his foreign policy brief in such
situations.
GODFREY