Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07YEREVAN888
2007-07-12 05:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

NEW CDA CALLS ON DFM KIRAKOSSIAN: RADIO LIBERTY,

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM HSTC KTIP AM TU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 120553Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5938
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1276
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC 0084
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ4/ECJ5-A/ECJ1/ECJ37//
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0387
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000888 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM HSTC KTIP AM TU
SUBJECT: NEW CDA CALLS ON DFM KIRAKOSSIAN: RADIO LIBERTY,
TIP, TURKEY, NAGORNO-KARABAKH, AND BILATERAL/SECURITY
RELATIONSHIP DISCUSSED


YEREVAN 00000888 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA Rudolf V. Perina, reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000888

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM HSTC KTIP AM TU
SUBJECT: NEW CDA CALLS ON DFM KIRAKOSSIAN: RADIO LIBERTY,
TIP, TURKEY, NAGORNO-KARABAKH, AND BILATERAL/SECURITY
RELATIONSHIP DISCUSSED


YEREVAN 00000888 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA Rudolf V. Perina, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Charge d'Affaires met Deputy Foreign
Minister Kirakossian for initial GOAM courtesy call, (with FM
Oskanian abroad),which then delved into substance.
Kirakossian said he and his minister fully agreed with us on
Radio Liberty, but urged CDA to raise it at higher levels.
Kirakossian was equally receptive on TIP, as his Americas
Director detailed the MFA's renewed efforts to improve
Armenia's TIP rating. The DFM himself raised the issue of
Turkish relations, saying nothing seemed to be happending
just now. DCM pointed out Armenia had never replied to
Ankara's latest letter, leaving the ball in the GOAM's court.
Kirakossian took the message, reiterating familiar
objections, but closing by reminding that he had drafted a
response letter to the GOT, but his superiors had not (yet)
elected to send it. The two discussed the recent Track II
delegation visit to Stepanakert, Yerevan, and Baku.
Kirakossian credited the long-standing friendship of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors in Moscow as the driving
force. Neither side seemed interested to build on the visit.
END SUMMARY


2. (C) RENEWING ACQUAINTANCE: CDA, accompanied by DCM and
pol/econ chief, paid his first official call with the
government on DFM Kirakossian, in the absence of FM Oskanian.
Kirakossian received him warmly; the two worked together
when Kirakossian was Armenia's Ambassador in Washington and
CDA was the Minsk Group negotiator on Nagorno-Karabakh. CDA
commented that while he was delighted to be able to spend
time in Yerevan and renew old friendships, the circumstances
were unfortunate in that they arose from the continuing
difficulty in assigning a permanent ambassador to Yerevan.
He hoped that it would be possible to resolve this situation
in the future. Kirakossian understood the situation, and
welcomed CDA to Yerevan in the meantime.



3. (C) RADIO LIBERTY: CDA commented that, though the
bilateral relationship seemed very good overall, he was very
troubled by Armenian Public Radio's notice to RFE/RL that the
state radio service would no longer broadcast Radio Liberty
starting next month. CDA acknowledged IBB's outstanding
debts to the public radio, but pointed out this problem arose
solely from the lack of a valid contract, which the Armenian
side had not to date been willing to sign. He said that
Armenia's shutting down Radio Liberty would look very bad in
Washington -- particularly in light of the upcoming
presidential elections -- and would frankly be hard for U.S.
leaders to understand. The inevitable appearance was that
Armenia was trying to stifle independent news voices in the
country in the pre-election period, and this would be a black
eye for Armenia. He solicited Kirakossian's help and advice.
Kirakossian replied that he himself, FM Oskanian, and the
whole MFA were very sympathetic to Radio Liberty, and were
arguing on Radio Liberty's behalf within the government.
Kirakossian urged CDA to be sure to raise our concerns to
both the prime minister and the president during his courtesy
calls with them. Americas Department Director Armen Yeganian
later pulled aside pol/econ chief in the corridor to say that
the decision to act against Radio Liberty had come from the
presidency.


4. (C) TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS: CDA also raised Armenia's TIP
rating of Tier Two Watch List, which represented a
disappointment for both governments. He said this, too, was
a black eye for Armenia's image, and one that should be
completely avoidable with a little focused work. He
reiterated our readiness to work with the GOAM on this issue.
Kirakossian agreed, and said his ministry was preparing a
detailed action plan to submit to the prime minister and
cabinet to re-energize Armenia's efforts to combat TIP.
Americas Director Yeganian spoke up to describe the detailed
report he and his staff had prepared that analyzed the
country reports for Armenia (T2WL),Azerbaijan (T2),Turkey
(T2),and Georgia (T1),highlighting differences in the three
countries' performance which seemed decisive in Armenia's
neighbors being graded higher than Armenia. The MFA's
package would target efforts to focus action on those areas
where Armenia was deficient. (NOTE: Yeganian had previously
shared informally with us his Armenian language draft,
soliciting our suggestions. It was good work, and seemed to
hit all the right areas for action. END NOTE)


5. (C) TALKING TURKEY: Kirakossian commented there was no
dialogue going on with Turkey at the moment. DCM replied

YEREVAN 00000888 002.2 OF 002


that the Turkish Government considered the ball to be in
Armenia's court. Turkey had sent a counter-proposal letter
to Armenia, and received no reply. CDA and DCM each affirmed
that Armenia should make a point to reply, because the
current situation allows Turkey to win the argument on form
instead of substance: they can just say "we sent a proposal
to Armenia, and are waiting to hear back." Kirakossian
reminded us that he drafted a reply letter months ago and
sent it up the chain, but his superiors had not been inclined
to send it. He reiterated Armenia's party line, which is
that Turkey seems determined to defer any dialogue on
present-day issues until after resolving the historical
question with their commission proposal, while Armenia's
focus was on present-day priorities and the desire to open
diplomatic relations immediately. He again wondered how
Armenia could have an honest dialogue with Turkey about
history in the context of Turkey Article 301 criminalization
of free discussion on the matter. We shared our frustration
at the inability to move the discussion forward.


6. (C) NAGORNO KARABAKH: CDA and DFM discussed the recent
"intellectuals" delegation, which had dispatched Armenian and
Azerbaijani intelligentsia to Stepankert, Yerevan, and Baku,
led by the Armenian and Azerbaijani ambassadors to Russia.
Kirakossian opined that this trip had come together largely
because those two ambassadors had a longstanding "good
relationship" of trust and friendship dating back to their
common experience as musical composers in the Soviet Union.
The two had helped make the delegation trip possible, despite
tepid support from their respective presidents and
governments. Neither president was enthusiastic but neither
had moved to stop it. DCM quipped that maybe each president
said "fine" while assuming that the other would surely say
no. Kirakossian smiled and did not disagree. Yeganian
thought the trip had usefully tested public opinion in the
two countries, and observed that there had been protests in
Azerbaijan, while Armenians seemed fine with it.


7. (C) BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP: CDA and DFM commented
favorably on the overall tenor of U.S.-Armenian relations,
highlighting in particular the good work being done through
the MCC program. DCM reminded that Armenia must remain
eligible on the indicators for the program to continue,
implicitly commenting on Radio Liberty and other aspects of
Armenia's borderline Ruling Justly scores; the point was
taken. Kirakossan said he had noticed that Azerbaijan had
just held high-level security talks in Washington, and that
this is something Armenia would like to take advantage of as
well. DCM noted that traditionally our Bilateral Defense
Consultations had often coincided with the U.S.-Armenia
Economic Task Force (USATF) meetings in Washington, but that
for various reasons there had been no full-fleged USATF since
May 2006, though a BDC had recently taken place in
Washington, led by General Melkonian of the MOD, without MFA
participation. Kirakossian felt the BDC was more of a
technical level, and it would be better to have security
talks at a political level. CDA noted that this was another
reason it was so important to get a permanent U.S. ambassador
assigned to Yerevan, who could help coordinate such
activities.
PERINA