UN IN ARMENIA SAYS IT IS FREE OF TIES TO TERROR

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000665 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER EFIN UNDP AM SUBJECT: UN IN ARMENIA SAYS IT IS FREE OF TIES TO TERROR GROUPS REF: STATE 63201 Classified By: DCM A.F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) UN Resident Coordinator Consuelo Vidal told us May 11 that she had complete confidence that UN agencies in Armenia had no terrorist organizations among their partners. Asked whether UN agencies in Armenia were vetting existing and potential partners against the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list (reftel),Vidal said, "I don't know what steps we are supposed to be taking, but we would be happy to take those steps." She said most partners came to the UN agencies from UN lists or Armenian government entities, thus providing an extra filter against terrorist organizations. ¶2. (SBU) Vidal said an Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team from the UN Secretariat would be in Yerevan the week of May 15, to work with the MFA to assist the GOAM in remaining free of entanglements with terrorist organizations. EVANS