Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06YEREVAN213
2006-02-13 12:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
NUCLEAR NEIGHBORHOOD: ARMENIA SEEKING US GUIDANCE
how-toVZCZCXRO4809 RR RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHYE #0213 0441226 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 131226Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2425 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0025 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0007 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0042 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0004 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 0128 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1006 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0001 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0021 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0031 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0047
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000213
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: PARM ENRG KNNP PREL AORC IR EU RS AM
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR NEIGHBORHOOD: ARMENIA SEEKING US GUIDANCE
ON IRANIAN PARTICIPATION
REF: A) YEREVAN 190 B) YEREVAN 64
Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
-------
SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000213
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: PARM ENRG KNNP PREL AORC IR EU RS AM
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR NEIGHBORHOOD: ARMENIA SEEKING US GUIDANCE
ON IRANIAN PARTICIPATION
REF: A) YEREVAN 190 B) YEREVAN 64
Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) This is an action request. Member states of the
Association of State Nuclear Authorities of Countries
Operating VVER-type Reactors are tentatively scheduled to
meet June 2006 in Yerevan. Armenia is the current chair of
the association. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian told the Ambassador that, along with India and
China, Iran had recently applied for association membership.
Kirakossian also told the Ambassador that, while chaired by
Finland in 2005, the association had invited Iran to attend
the June 2006 Yerevan session. The GOAM, according to
Kirakossian, in view of the U.S. position on Iran's nuclear
ambitions, seeks "the U.S. opinion" on both Iran's
participation as an observer at the Yerevan session and
Iranian membership in the Association of State Nuclear
Authorities of Countries Operating VVER-type Reactors. Post
seeks Department's guidance for responding to Kirakossian's
inquiry. End Summary.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (C) On February 3, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian returned from Tehran, where he accompanied a
high-level Armenian delegation for regularly scheduled
meetings of the Iran-Armenia Inter-Governmental Commission
(ref A). Iranian interlocutors, according to Kirakossian,
told the delegation that Iran had applied for membership in
the Association of State Nuclear Authorities of Countries
Operating VVER-type Reactors and planned to attend the June
2006 membership session in Yerevan. Yerevan inherited the
association's rotating presidency, according to Kirakossian,
after members led by Finland invited Iran to attend "the next
session." According to Kirakossian, the Government of Russia
had already registered opposition to Iranian participation.
(Note: According to Kirakossian, association member states
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia,
and Ukraine plan to participate in the June 2006 Yerevan
session. End Note.)
--------------
COMMENT: MAINTAINING A STRONG U.S. POSITION
--------------
3. (C) Deputy Minister Kirakossian's inquiry has given us an
exceptional opportunity to reinforce U.S. interests in
quelling Iran's nuclear ambitions. As instructed in the
past, we have repeatedly registered with our GOAM
interlocutors the importance of delivering a strong, unified
message against proliferation to Iran. We believe this is
the time to reinforce that message by asking Armenia to
reject Iran's request to participate and to table Iran's
application for membership.
EVANS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND NEA/ARPI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: PARM ENRG KNNP PREL AORC IR EU RS AM
SUBJECT: NUCLEAR NEIGHBORHOOD: ARMENIA SEEKING US GUIDANCE
ON IRANIAN PARTICIPATION
REF: A) YEREVAN 190 B) YEREVAN 64
Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) This is an action request. Member states of the
Association of State Nuclear Authorities of Countries
Operating VVER-type Reactors are tentatively scheduled to
meet June 2006 in Yerevan. Armenia is the current chair of
the association. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian told the Ambassador that, along with India and
China, Iran had recently applied for association membership.
Kirakossian also told the Ambassador that, while chaired by
Finland in 2005, the association had invited Iran to attend
the June 2006 Yerevan session. The GOAM, according to
Kirakossian, in view of the U.S. position on Iran's nuclear
ambitions, seeks "the U.S. opinion" on both Iran's
participation as an observer at the Yerevan session and
Iranian membership in the Association of State Nuclear
Authorities of Countries Operating VVER-type Reactors. Post
seeks Department's guidance for responding to Kirakossian's
inquiry. End Summary.
--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------
2. (C) On February 3, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian returned from Tehran, where he accompanied a
high-level Armenian delegation for regularly scheduled
meetings of the Iran-Armenia Inter-Governmental Commission
(ref A). Iranian interlocutors, according to Kirakossian,
told the delegation that Iran had applied for membership in
the Association of State Nuclear Authorities of Countries
Operating VVER-type Reactors and planned to attend the June
2006 membership session in Yerevan. Yerevan inherited the
association's rotating presidency, according to Kirakossian,
after members led by Finland invited Iran to attend "the next
session." According to Kirakossian, the Government of Russia
had already registered opposition to Iranian participation.
(Note: According to Kirakossian, association member states
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia,
and Ukraine plan to participate in the June 2006 Yerevan
session. End Note.)
--------------
COMMENT: MAINTAINING A STRONG U.S. POSITION
--------------
3. (C) Deputy Minister Kirakossian's inquiry has given us an
exceptional opportunity to reinforce U.S. interests in
quelling Iran's nuclear ambitions. As instructed in the
past, we have repeatedly registered with our GOAM
interlocutors the importance of delivering a strong, unified
message against proliferation to Iran. We believe this is
the time to reinforce that message by asking Armenia to
reject Iran's request to participate and to table Iran's
application for membership.
EVANS