UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ARMENIA STILL UNDECIDED

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000599 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO AND EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016 TAGS: KUNR PHUM PREL AM IR SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ARMENIA STILL UNDECIDED ON WHETHER IT WILL SUPPORT IRAN REF: STATE 66050 Classified By: DCM A.F.Godfrey for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) (C) DCM delivered reftel demarche to Deputy Foreign Armen Minister Baiburtian on April 28. Baiburtian said that Armenia had not yet decided how it would vote in the May 9 election, and underscored that its own election to the new Human Rights Council was a top priority. Armenia was in receipt of a letter of support from Iran, provided Armenia supported Iran's own election. Baiburtian said the decision on how to vote would likely be made by May 4. We underscored again that the election of Iran would cause the new council to lose all credibility and that irrespective of Armenia's own goal of election to the council we would not understand an Armenian vote to elect Iran. EVANS