ICRC: ARMENIA TO SUPPORT THIRD ADDITIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000602 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CARC AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016 TAGS: AORC PHUM PREF PREL AM SZ ICRC SUBJECT: ICRC: ARMENIA TO SUPPORT THIRD ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL, OBJECTS TO TURKEY REGIONAL OFFICE REF: A. STATE 63865 ¶B. 05 YEREVAN 02028 Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reason 1.4 (c, d) ¶1. (SBU) We delivered reftel points regarding the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions to DFM Armen Baiburtian and MFA International Organizations Department Head Valery Mkrtumyan. Mkrtumyan told us that Armenia planned to sign the Protocol and to support changing the statutes of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. ¶2. (C) Taking the opportunity to discuss other issues related to the Red Cross, Baiburtian said that the ICRC Regional Director Stefan Steebacher recently reported the ICRC's plans to open a regional office in Ankara which would cover Armenia, as well as other Caucasus and Central Asian states. Baiburtian said "we can't accept a proposal for a regional director in a country with which we do not have diplomatic relations." Armenia would prefer locating the regional director in Budapest, Geneva or Brussels. The DCM told Baiburtian that we saw regional assignments like this as a lever for Armenia to open relations with Turkey. The Armenian representative at the Black Sea Economic Forum -- based in Istanbul -- was a good example. EVANS