ARMENIA: MEDIA REACTION TO OSCE MINSK GROUP VISIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000724 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/PPD, EUR/CARC E.O. 12958; N/A TAGS: OPRC AM KMDR KPAO SUBJECT: ARMENIA: MEDIA REACTION TO OSCE MINSK GROUP VISIT -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. As part of an OSCE Minsk Group delegation, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, Russian Deputy Foreign SIPDIS Minister Grigoriy Karasin, and French Ambassador Pierre Morel, accompanied by the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, visited Armenia on May 25. During the visit, the delegation presented a joint statement to the press with the senior representative from each country reading part of the statement in his native language. The visit received broad press coverage, with virtually all print and broadcast media outlets covering the text of the statement. Many outlets commented that the high rank of the officials in the delegation testified to the importance of the visit. The media also noted that the mediators appeared to expect significant results from the negotiations in the near future. This sense of optimism appears to have had an impact on the press, contrasting sharply with the reaction following the Rambouillet summit. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- DELEGATION'S HIGH LEVEL SEEN TO REFLECT ITS SIGNIFICANCE -------------- -------------- ¶2. Media outlets focused on the high-level of the delegation, noting that this "must signify" the importance of the group's mission. "Armenia Liberty," RFE/RL's Armenian service, published an article entitled, "Mediators Urge Final Push for Karabakh Peace." The article stated, "The decision by the three men [Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin, and Ambassador Pierre Morel] to accompany lower-level American, French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group on their latest round of shuttle diplomacy is quite significant in itself. The three mediating powers seem to be making a last-ditch attempt to secure a Karabakh peace deal before the end of this year." "Haykakan Zhamanak," a tabloid daily, also focused on the high rank of the officials in the delegation. The newspaper stated that the representatives refused to answer questions, but claimed this was due to the fact that such high-level officials could not give "meaningless" answers as the co-chairs usually provide. The newspaper commented, "This testifies to the serious nature of the visit and the development of events and expectations." -------------- -- MEDIA COMMENT ON DELEGATION'S HIGH EXPECTATIONS -------------- -- ¶3. A number of media outlets commented that the delegation appeared to have high expectations for the future. "Azg," a center-right daily, stated, "It is likely that the format of the delegation's visit and its joint statement testify to the serious expectations for the June 4-5 meeting between Aliyev and Kocharian in Bucharest. ...The fact that sources have spoken about a document to be presented during the Kocharian-Aliyev meeting in Bucharest...shows the intention of the co-chairs to achieve serious results at the meeting of the presidents." "Iravunk," an opposition newspaper, also noted the optimism of the co-chairs, stating, "But one thing is obvious--the presence alone of this type of delegation proves their intention to quicken the pace of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." A pro- government daily, "Hayots Ashkhar," remarked, "The mediators refrained from making comments and categorically refused to take questions from journalists. Instead, they tried to create an 'exceptional' impression, stressing that the visit was not simply an ordinary one, but was a turning point that would help determine the fate of the conflict." -------------- THREE MEDIATORS TAKE CENTER STAGE -------------- ¶4. Media outlets also commented on the format of the press availability, including the fact that no questions were taken and that the representatives each read part of the statement in his native language. "Respublika Armenia," a government-run Russian language newspaper, published the statement and then remarked, "And no more words. Not a single question. Not because there were not any. But because we, the journalists, were warned that the high- ranking guests would not answer them. But the most interesting part was the process of presenting the statement. ...Karasin, Fried, and Morel divided the statement into three parts and each presented his piece in his own language, causing the journalists to notice the similarities between the three officials and the Three Tenors--Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Jose Carreras." (One media outlet referred to the delegation of the three co-chairs, three senior leaders and OSCE Special Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk as the "Magnificent Seven.") -------------- -------------- VISIT INSTILLS CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM IN ARMENIAN PRESS -------------- -------------- ¶5. The high-level nature of this visit and the ambitious expectations of the delegation seem to have instilled a sense of cautious optimism in the Armenian media. Whereas following the Rambouillet summit the media were noticeably pessimistic about the prospects for the negotiations, the press commented on this visit without its previous sense of disillusionment. While the media have clearly not forgotten what they termed a "disaster" and a "failure" at Rambouillet, it appears that the impressive composition of the latest delegation has helped to mitigate the consequences of the unsuccessful summit. EVANS