AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON ARMENIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000887


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL TU GG AM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON ARMENIAN
CATHOLICOS

Classified By: Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch, reasons 1.4 (b,d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) In a November 3 meeting with the Ambassador, His
Holiness Karekin II was upbeat about prospects for Armenia
achieving peace with its neighbors. On Armenia's domestic
political situation, the Catholicos spared no detail in
describing the lengths to which he and the Armenian Church
had gone to bring the GOAM and the opposition together prior
to and following February's flawed presidential election.
Karekin II also predicted that inaction with regard to
Georgian church pressure on non-Georgian churches in
Georgia--including Armenian ones--could be the impetus for
future violence. END SUMMARY.

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PONTIFF OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE REGION'S FUTURE
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2. (C) In her introductory call on the head of the worldwide
Armenian Apostolic Church, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Ambassador
explained that one of her top priorities is facilitating
rapprochement between Armenia and its neighbors. In
response, Karekin II said he was optimistic about the new
opportunities present in nascent Armenian-Turkish relations,
as well as in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. He said
the GOAM is of the mind to move these processes forward and
that "with U.S. help, resolutions with Turkey and on NK are
at hand."

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KAREKIN II ON ARMENIA'S DOMESTIC POLITICS
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3. (C) The Catholicos then proceeded to explain to
Ambassador--in minute detail--the lengths to which he and the
Church had gone to halt the spiral of events that followed
February's flawed presidential elections. He said that he
had been approached by a representative of former president
and opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian (LTP) who had
asked him to be "among the heroic Catholicoi of history" by
siding with the opposition. Karekin II said he had responded
that while he understood that LTP needed to protect his
votes, "this country does not need a revolution." He noted
that on many occasions he had tried to speak with LTP himself
before and during the tragic events of March 1-2 to convince
him that he should attempt to control his followers, but to
no avail. (NOTE: Karekin II was one of the first public
officials openly to congratulate Serzh Sargsian the day after
his election victory, despite the reports of fraud and
malfeasance that were still being received. END NOTE.)


4. (C) Karekin II claimed it was the opposition that sought
to politicize his position by urging that the Church condemn
the actions of the authorities. He relayed the story of the
wives of political prisoners who approached him several
months after their husbands had been arrested to ask that he
issue a statement decrying the GOAM's actions in detaining
their spouses on political grounds. He noted with surprise
that they had not asked that he intervene on their behalf
with the GOAM to secure their husbands' release.


5. (C) The Catholicos stated that while the Church had always
seen its role as the primary supporter of Armenian
independence, often this support has been "misconstrued" as
support for the authorities, a charge the Catholicos denied.
(NOTE: At one point during the conversation, the Catholicos
interrupted the Ambassador to answer a call on his special
"government phone." This was clearly the Soviet-era
"hotline" more often found on government ministers' desks to
take calls from the President and other top officials. END
NOTE.)

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SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN GEORGIA
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6. (C) Following up on a topic raised during the Catholicos'
meeting with A/S Fried on October, the Ambassador informed
the Catholicos that Ambassador Teftt would be discussing the
issue of Georgian church officials commandeering and defacing
Armenian and other non-Georgian churches in Georgia with the
government in Tbilisi. His Holiness warned the Ambassador
that were the activities of Georgian church officials to go
unchecked indefinitely, there could be "tragic consequences
and violence."

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COMMENT
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7. (C) The pontiff's was more optimistic than most about
prospects for successful negotiations with Turkey and
Azerbaijan, but it is not clear that he is speaking from an
informed perspective.


8. (C) Though he went to great pains to paint a picture of
Church impartiality in Armenian politics, we know that
Karekin II has a close relationship with the authorities and
has frequently taken pro-governmental stances in public and
private. These positions, especially the Catholicos,
avoidance of any public criticism of the authorities,
actions during and after the election, have created disquiet
and even anger among some believers. While dissenting voices
exist within the clergy, they have kept their views hidden
from the public. One such priest has described the
Catholicos, silence on the March 1 events as "a festering
wound" within the Church. Karekin II is understood by
politically aware Armenians to be from the "Aparan clan" --
an influential old boys network of politicians and
businessmen with roots in the town of Aparan who look out for
each other's political interests. The clan,s senior member
is the Prosecutor General. The Catholicos is considered the
second-most influential member of the Aparan clan, a
perception that serves to reinforce Karekin II's close
identification with the current authorities. END COMMENT.


YOVANOVITCH