ARMENIA: UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VOTES IN FAVOR OF UNGA

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001404 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PGI, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA IS AM SUBJECT: ARMENIA: UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VOTES IN FAVOR OF UNGA ANTI-ISRAEL BIASED RESOLUTIONS REF: STATE 159386 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff met with Armenian MFA Director for International Organizations Dziunik Aghajanian on November 29 to communicate reftel demarche regarding upcoming UNGA votes to renew Anti-Israeli biased resolutions. Given Armenia's 2006 votes on the three resolutions (Yes on 61/22 and 61/116, and abstention on 61/23),Poloff requested consideration of moving all votes to either a "No" or "Abstain" vote due to problems that these renewed mandates could cause to U.S. and international efforts to restart the Middle East Peace Process. Poloff pointed out that recent voting trends on these resolutions demonstrated a lack of general consensus in the UNGA on these resolutions and that overall they were seen to be largely unhelpful in bringing a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. ¶2. (SBU) Aghajanian regretted that while it had previously decided to abstain on Resolution 61/23 (at U.S. behest), Armenia would not change from its current "Yes" on the other two resolutions due to two primary reasons: 1) Drawing a parallel between the unsettled issue of Palestine and the current status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the GOAM as a matter of principle could not vote to deny the right of self-determination to the Palestinian people; and 2) Given Armenia's participation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the resulting increase in negative sentiments toward ethnic Armenian minorities throughout the Arab world, the GOAM believed it was necessary at this time to stay firm on a "Yes" vote for the two remaining resolutions. PENNINGTON