Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07YEREVAN902
2007-07-16 11:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
MFA ENGAGED ON POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF
how-toVZCZCXRO3506 PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK DE RUEHYE #0902 1971127 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 161127Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5962 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0022 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0130 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0114
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000902
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR PRM, EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG EAID AM IZ XF
SUBJECT: MFA ENGAGED ON POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF
IRAQI-ARMENIANS
REF: A) STATE 95335 B) GENEVA 1787
Classified By: Steve Banks, Pol/Econ chief, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000902
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR PRM, EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG EAID AM IZ XF
SUBJECT: MFA ENGAGED ON POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF
IRAQI-ARMENIANS
REF: A) STATE 95335 B) GENEVA 1787
Classified By: Steve Banks, Pol/Econ chief, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) Emboffs informally sounded out MFA International
Organizations Director, Dziunik Aghajanian, July 11 about
Armenia's attitude toward the possibility of resettling
Iraqi-Armenians in Armenia, as mentioned ref A. We noted our
understanding that the UNHCR was in preliminary discussions
about this possibility with U.S. counterparts.
2. (C) Aghajanian's response made clear that the GOAM has
already given this idea some thought. She said Armenia is
very willing, in principle, to accept ethnic Armenians from
Iraq for resettlement, but would need significant financial
assistance in order to be able to do so. For example,
Armenia had no ready supply of adequate housing available to
accommodate resettled refugees, though some abandoned
former-Azerbaijani (pre-NK war) villages in Armenia could be
made ready to accommodate refugees. She also predicted that
training and integration assistance (for example, microcredit
programs) would be required, to supply refugees with a means
to secure their livelihood. She observed that many
Iraqi-Armenians were highly skilled and educated, but noted
that for employment at the white-collar/professional level
many Armenian employers expected applicants to be fluent in
both Russian and Armenian. Naturally, few Iraqi-Armenians
speak Russian, and their dialect of Armenian differs somewhat
from that spoken here. Agahjanian also said Armenia did not
wish to be a point of only temporary refuge for
Iraqi-Armenians. The GOAM was only interested in resettling
refugees who desire to make Armenia their permanent home.
3. (C) WHAT ABOUT AN IRAN SCENARIO?: Aghajanian raised her
concerns about instability arising from any possible U.S
assault upon Iran, which has a much larger Armenian diaspora
population than Iraq. She forecast major disruptions for
Armenia if such an outcome came to pass, including masses of
Iranian-Armenian refugees streaming into Armenia, for which
the GOAM would be completely unprepared. We agreed that any
such contingency would be difficult for Armenia, and shared
the hope that no such scenario would ever come to pass.
PERINA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR PRM, EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2017
TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG EAID AM IZ XF
SUBJECT: MFA ENGAGED ON POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF
IRAQI-ARMENIANS
REF: A) STATE 95335 B) GENEVA 1787
Classified By: Steve Banks, Pol/Econ chief, reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (C) Emboffs informally sounded out MFA International
Organizations Director, Dziunik Aghajanian, July 11 about
Armenia's attitude toward the possibility of resettling
Iraqi-Armenians in Armenia, as mentioned ref A. We noted our
understanding that the UNHCR was in preliminary discussions
about this possibility with U.S. counterparts.
2. (C) Aghajanian's response made clear that the GOAM has
already given this idea some thought. She said Armenia is
very willing, in principle, to accept ethnic Armenians from
Iraq for resettlement, but would need significant financial
assistance in order to be able to do so. For example,
Armenia had no ready supply of adequate housing available to
accommodate resettled refugees, though some abandoned
former-Azerbaijani (pre-NK war) villages in Armenia could be
made ready to accommodate refugees. She also predicted that
training and integration assistance (for example, microcredit
programs) would be required, to supply refugees with a means
to secure their livelihood. She observed that many
Iraqi-Armenians were highly skilled and educated, but noted
that for employment at the white-collar/professional level
many Armenian employers expected applicants to be fluent in
both Russian and Armenian. Naturally, few Iraqi-Armenians
speak Russian, and their dialect of Armenian differs somewhat
from that spoken here. Agahjanian also said Armenia did not
wish to be a point of only temporary refuge for
Iraqi-Armenians. The GOAM was only interested in resettling
refugees who desire to make Armenia their permanent home.
3. (C) WHAT ABOUT AN IRAN SCENARIO?: Aghajanian raised her
concerns about instability arising from any possible U.S
assault upon Iran, which has a much larger Armenian diaspora
population than Iraq. She forecast major disruptions for
Armenia if such an outcome came to pass, including masses of
Iranian-Armenian refugees streaming into Armenia, for which
the GOAM would be completely unprepared. We agreed that any
such contingency would be difficult for Armenia, and shared
the hope that no such scenario would ever come to pass.
PERINA