GENERAL WARD TALKS FMF AND N-K WITH DEFMIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001328

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM AM
SUBJECT: GENERAL WARD TALKS FMF AND N-K WITH DEFMIN


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

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) EUCOM Deputy Commander General William Ward visited
the GOAM's 12th Peacekeeping Battalion and the Ministry of
Defense during his visit to Yerevan this week. He thanked
Armenia for its contributions to KFOR and Operation Iraqi
Freedom, and pushed both the commander of the peacekeeping
battalion and Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsian to
consider additional deployments in support of international
efforts and more training for non-commissioned officers
(NCOs). Sargsian made a pitch to restart the flow of Foreign
Military Financing (FMF) money allocated to Armenia. He also
noted that Armenia's ability to reform its military was
limited, saying that, if Armenia pulled its soldiers out of
the trench positions along the line of contact, Azerbaijani
forces would overrun those positions within hours. The
General's visit was a great public diplomacy success, and was
also useful in our effort to convince the GOAM to expand its
peacekeeping contributions. END SUMMARY.

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GENERAL VISITS DEFMIN
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2. (C) Because General Ward's visit took place during the
final day of Armenia's third worldwide Diaspora Conference,
President Kocharian was not available. Defense Minister
Sargsian rolled out the red carpet, however, and hosted
General Ward's delegation to a lavish dinner. During their
official meeting, the General thanked Sargsian for Armenia's
contribution to the international operations in Iraq and
Kosovo. He asked the Defense Minister to support sending
four Armenian NCOs to Warrior Leader Training in Germany for
International Military Education and Training (IMET)-funded
training, stressing that such training is key both for the
development of the Armenian military, and for its
interoperability with NATO forces. General Ward also
encouraged Sargsian to ensure that the military makes good
use of its IMET-trained NCOs and officers by giving them
meaningful jobs.

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DEFMIN COMPLAINS ABOUT SLOW FMF ALLOCATION
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3. (C) Sargsian told General Ward that he understood,
reluctantly, that Armenia's FMF request to purchase
communications equipment did not meet guidelines. Sargsian
told Ward he was disappointed that the USD 11 million it had
been granted between 2004 and 2006 was not yet obligated.
Sargsian told General Ward that, once the FMF plan for
peacekeeping battalion equipment was finalized and the
equipment arrived, the GOAM would be able to increase its
contribution to the international coalition in Iraq by as
much as 50 percent. He also said the GOAM intended to expand
the battalion into a full brigade. Charge d'Affaires and ODC
chief interjected with updates on new agreements with the MOD
to commit these funds, but Sargsian was irritated by the
interference in his pitch to the General.

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DEFMIN TALKS N-K
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4. (C) Sargsian told the General that, much as the GOAM would
like to step up the pace to reform its military, it could not
do so fully as long as the possibility of renewed conflict
with Azerbaijan remained a national security threat. He said
that 80 percent of the Armenian military is involved in
"daily vigilance" in trench positions in Nagorno Karabakh.
"If we don't man trenches for five hours, the Azeris will
take them," he said. Sargsian said the GOAM could not divert
its full attention to training and reform. General Ward said
he understood Armenia's positions, but said the U.S. learned
in World War I that trenches were not necessarily a guarantee
against attack.

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PEACEKEEPING BATTALION HQ SPRUCED UP FOR GENERAL'S VISIT
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5. (C) Before meeting with Sargsian, General Ward visited the
downtown headquarters of the 12th Peacekeeping Battalion.
After the General reviewed several platoons, he met with the
battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Tonoyan, in a
building that had clearly been repainted and varnished for

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the General's visit. Tonoyan discussed in detail the
positions of Armenian forces in Kosovo and Iraq, and
introduced the General to several soldiers who had received
IMET military training. Soldiers also gave the General a
tour of their English language center, walked him through
tables of weapons, uniforms, and other equipment, and
presented a slideshow of Armenian military deployments to
Kosovo and Iraq. Battalion members clearly appreciated the
General's easy manner and obvious enthusiasm.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) From a public diplomacy perspective, the General's
visit was very successful. The commander and soldiers of the
peacekeeping battalion were clearly thrilled at his visit.
The General's encouragement of NCO training and expansion of
the peacekeeping battalion was also a useful reinforcement of
our efforts here at post to press the GOAM to increase their
contribution to international peacekeeping efforts and
coalition operations.
GODFREY