ARMENIA: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000523 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR I/O AND EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KUNR OPDC PREL PHUM AM SUBJECT: ARMENIA: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 57036 Sensitive but Unclassified. Please Treat Accordingly. (SBU) On April 12, DCM met with Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Baiburtian to discuss Secretary Rice's letter (forwarded the previous day) requesting that Armenia join the U.S. in pledging to support for membership in the new UN Human Rights Council only those candidates with positive track records on human rights. We urged strongly that Armenia make a similar pledge. Baiburtian did not answer directly when we asked if Armenia currently planned to support the candidacy of any country which systematically abused human rights. When we asked point-blank if Armenia would logroll with Iran for election to the Council, Baiburtian answered only that "we will certainly consider the Secretary's letter carefully" before taking any decisions. EVANS