"JUDO DIPLOMACY" BRINGS AZERBAIJANI ATHLETES TO YEREVAN

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000742

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DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AJ AM
SUBJECT: "JUDO DIPLOMACY" BRINGS AZERBAIJANI ATHLETES TO YEREVAN

(U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


1. (U) SUMMARY: On September 29, DCM met with the Armenian Minister
of Sports and Youth Affairs, Armen Grigorian, to discuss the
successful "judo diplomacy" involving Azerbaijani athletes
participating in a September competition in Yerevan. DCM also
informed the Minister about the DOS Sports Envoy Program, and
offered to nominate a sports envoy from the USA to host in Armenia.
The Minister expressed his desire to cooperate with the Embassy in
the training of players and re-training of coaches.


SUCCESSFUL YOUTH JUDO CHAMPIONSHIP IN YEREVAN
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2. (SBU) DCM congratulated the Minister on the successful completion
of the European Youth Judo Championship held in Yerevan, September
11 to 13. Teams from Europe and the Caucasus, including the
Azerbaijan youth judo team, attended. The minister explained that
Armenian and Azeri cooperation in sports began with the 2007 World
Wrestling Championship held in Baku. Minister Grigorian travelled
to Baku for negotiations with the Azeri Ministry of Sports under the
auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the
International Federation of Wrestling. Success in the day-long
negotiation enabled the Armenian wrestling team to participate in
the Baku tournament and return home without incident.


3. (SBU) This year, a delegation of the Armenian Ministry of Sports
and Youth Affairs and the World Judo Federation drafted an agreement
to allow judokas from Azerbaijan to compete in the regional youth
judo tournament in Yerevan. All security-related issues raised by
the Azerbaijani side were addressed and the agreement was signed in
the presence of the President of the World Judo Federation and a
representative from the IOC.


4. (U) A fifteen-member Azerbaijani team stayed a total of eight
days and participated in the three-day tournament in Yerevan. They
took home one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Grigorian
said "When the flag of Azerbaijan was raised and their national
anthem was played, there was no negative reaction from the crowd.
The Armenian people accepted them in the spirit of sportsmanship."
Local Armenian media quoted the Azeri participants' expressions of
appreciation for Armenian hospitality. The single negative report
focused on a postcard-sized flag of Nagorno- Karabakh mounted in one
of the busses transporting the judokas from their hotel to the
arena. Minister Grigorian stressed that this was not officially
sanctioned by the government and it was an oversight on the part of
the bus driver.

FURTHER SPORTS COOPERATION
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5. (SBU) The successful organization, execution and security of the
tournament were hailed by the head of the EU Olympic Committee. A
special committee, headed by the Armenian Prime Minister, has been
tasked to arrange security for future international championships
and tournaments as need be. The Azerbaijan authorities have given
their tacit support to conducting tournaments that foster regional
participation. Both sports ministries understand that regional
cooperation in sports is possible when guided by the Olympic
principles of sports without politics.


6. (SBU) Just as "soccer diplomacy" has played a constructive role
in facilitating Turkish-Armenian dialogue, so too might sporting
events contribute to a more positive atmosphere between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Post will look for opportunities to support such
athletic interaction, including the ECA-Sponsored Sports Envoy
Program.

YOVANOVITCH