ARMENIA: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000230

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, IO/UNESCO M. CHRISTINA NOVO
DEPT FOR IO/PPC RICHARD WILBUR AND EB/TPP/MTA LINDSAY CHASON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: UNESCO CONVENTION ON CULTURAL
EXPRESSIONS UPDATE

REF: A) STATE 19851 B) 05 YEREVAN 1818 C) 05 YEREVAN

2182

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

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) The UNESCO convention is not likely to appear on the
Armenian Parliament's legislative agenda in 2006. There has
been little or no media attention or public debate
specifically directed at ratification of the Convention, but
perception in Armenia of UNESCO in general is quite negative.
Public diplomacy products supporting the USG position on the
convention may aid our efforts with the GOAM but will not
likely change the already negative perception of UNESCO that
regularly plays in Armenian media outlets. End Summary.

2. (C) On February 14, Armenian MFA National Commission for
UNESCO Secretary-General Karina Danielyan told us the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet distributed the
UNESCO Convention to relevant ministries for comment and
analysis. The process, she said, would likely take "more
than half a year" before the convention is cleared for debate
in the Armenian National Assembly. Given other priorities,
Danielyan told us, the NA would not likely schedule the
convention before "the end of 2006."

--On February 8, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian told the Ambassador the GOAM was "disappointed"
that UNESCO had failed to act on Armenian requests to halt
the destruction of Armenian cultural monuments in the
Nakhichevan region along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border (ref
C). "UNESCO's done nothing for us," he told the Ambassador.


3. (C) Other Armenian leaders have also expressed public
frustration with UNESCO's failure to respond to letters sent
to Secretary General Koichiro Matsuura appealing for
intervention in the Nakhichevan incident. Signatories,
referenced in the following articles and editorials include:
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian (December 16),National
Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian (December 16),the Head
of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II
(December 16),and Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan
(December 23).


4. (SBU) Coverage of UNESCO in the Armenian press is strictly
limited to events surrounding the destruction of Armenian
cultural monuments in the Nakhichevan region. Examples
include:

--On February 10, Noyan Tapan News Agency reported that
opposition Justice Bloc Parliamentarian Viktor Dallakyan
called on President Robert Kocharian to "raise the question
of destruction of khatchkars (stones crosses) during
Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations" with Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev. "This issue concerns not only Armenian culture, but
also Christian values," Dallakyan said, "and I'm sorry that
UNESCO doesn't hear all this and doesn't take the respective
steps."

--On February 7, Armenian A1-Plus news reported that "the
Pan-Armenian Committee on Defense of Armenian Monuments" had
submitted a list of "demands" to President Robert Kocharian,
which included Kocharian petitioning UNESCO for Azerbaijan's
expulsion.

--On February 7, Armenpress News Agency reported that
Armenian National Assembly Deputy Speaker Vahan Hovhanissyan
described UNESCO's silence, particularly following high-level
Armenian appeals, on the destruction of Armenian cultural
monuments in Nakhichevan as "shameful."

--On February 2, Noyan Tapan News Agency re-printed Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian's letter to UNESCO Secretary-General
Koichiro Matsuura appealing for UNESCO intervention to stop
the destruction of Armenian cultural monuments in Nakhichevan.

--On February 1, Arminfo News Agency reprinted an editorial
from Italian 'La Stampa' news which Arminfo editors commented
"represented the historical facts," criticizing the
authorities of Azerbaijan, the UN and UNESCO for their
"indifference."

--On January 12, AZG Armenian Daily published an editorial
entitled: "UNESCO Remains Silent." The editorial noted
"Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdyan called on UNESCO to take

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relevant measures for stopping the barbaric actions of
Azerbaijan in the old graveyard of Julfa in Nakhichevan.

--On January 11, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told
reporters at a press conference that Armenia had not yet
received "any answer from UNESCO."

--On January 10, Noyan Tapan News Agency reported that the
Archbishop of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem sent a
letter to UNESCO Secretary-General Koichiro Matsuura
"expressing deep concern and indignation" for "the ongoing
desecration and destruction of a medieval Armenian cemetery."
The Archbishop "expressed hope that UNESCO would direct its
international influence toward the Azerbaijani Government."

--On December 15, Armenpress News Agency reported that three
dioceses of the Armenian Church in Iran "applied" to UNESCO
and other international organizations "requesting swift
reaction to another act of vandalism in the Armenian cemetery
in the Julfa region in the Azerbaijani enclave of
Nakhichevan." Armenian authorities, according to the
article, had requested "several times" that UNESCO set up a
commission to examine the damaged historical monuments.
EVANS