GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA GIVES HIS VIEWS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 YEREVAN 000103 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019 TAGS: PREL PBTS KIRF SOCI GG AM SUBJECT: GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA GIVES HIS VIEWS REF: A. YEREVAN 71 ¶B. TBILISI 196 Classified By: Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Reason 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The Georgian Ambassador to Armenia believes the Government of Armenia (GOAM) is ratcheting up demands on the Government of Georgia (GOG) on the issues of border demarcation and the disputed churches to take advantage of Georgia's perceived weakness and delicate psychological state after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Neither the GOAM nor ethnic Armenians in Georgia appreciate all the GOG has done for them, but simply demand more and more, he asserted. If the GOAM continues in this manner, he claimed, there is a view in the Georgian MFA that Georgia should close the border to get Armenia's attention. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) The Georgian Ambassador to Armenia, Gregory Tabatadze, presented his views on the Armenia-Georgia relationship during lunch with Ambassador Yovanovitch on February 16. The two discussed the numerous issues related to the border, trans-border cooperation, the churches in Georgia claimed by the Armenian church, education for ethnic minorities, and the situation in Samatskhe-Javakheti (the border region that contains the majority of Georgia's ethnic Armenians, referred to by Armenians as Javakh). The two main themes of Tabatadze's comments were that the Armenians do not appreciate all that the Government of Georgia (GOG) has done for them, and that Armenians constantly demand more without offering anything in return. Nonetheless, the GOG was looking forward to Armenian President Sargsian's unofficial visit at the end of February when he and Georgian President Saakashvili will visit a ski resort in Georgia and discuss delimitation of the border, as well as other issues of mutual concern. -------------- Border Issues Take Priority -------------- ¶3. (C) "All we want from the Government of Armenia (GOAM) is to delimit the border," said Tabatadze, summarizing his view of the Georgia-Armenia Task Force that was held in Yerevan earlier in February (reftel). He claimed the Armenians are demanding too much in the negotiations to delimit their shared border, and want to move the border to acquire more land without offering other land as compensation. When the Ambassador said the GOAM has told us that Armenia has lost over 700 hectares of land since the last official delimitation of the border in 1934 and is looking to equalize that loss first, Tabatadze responded that he had never heard this from the GOAM. ¶4. (C) The GOG, according to Tabatadze, considers the custom of allowing villagers on both sides of the border to cross the border at will to work on traditional lands as a violation of its sovereignty and an encouragement to corruption and other illegal activities. "We are no longer a failed state," he commented. Upon further reflection, Tabatadze added that perhaps the GOG could be flexible on the issue, but would need more details such as who would be allowed to cross, how far into Georgian territory they could go, and who (if anyone) would administer the crossings, etc. ¶5. (C) In the area of trans-border cooperation, Tabatadze claimed that Georgia is doing much more than Armenia. In energy, Georgia completed over 200 kms of high voltage lines to comply with the agreement to interconnect the two countries' electrical grids, while Armenia has yet to construct any lines. With the Bavra to Batumi Road and linkage to the North-South Road in Armenia, Tabatadze said the GOG will do what is necessary, and has only 80 kms of road left to build, putting the Georgians far ahead of the Armenians. While the GOAM wants to consider the road a "regional project," the GOG does not, because putting it into a regional category would automatically make the road Georgia's highest priority and the GOG wanted more flexibility. -------------- Reciprocity Demanded for Churches -------------- ¶6. (C) Tabatadze's view that "Armenians want everything while offering nothing" extends to the issue of the Georgian churches claimed by the Armenian Apostolic Church. Tabatadze said that the GOG sent a diplomatic note to the Armenians offering to establish a commission to discuss the disputed churches but that the GOAM never responded. The Ambassador YEREVAN 00000103 002 OF 003 pointed out that the GOAM did in fact respond and requested that the Georgians provide evidence that those churches traditionally belonged to the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Georgian Ambassador agreed that a response was received, but countered that the Armenians should show their evidence to church ownership first, since the GOAM is the demandeur. ¶7. (C) "We don't want the churches. Everyone knows they are Armenian churches." Tabatadze said, but it would only be fair for the Georgians to receive other churches in return. He specifically pointed to unused "Georgian" churches in northern Armenia currently on the state registry with the GOAM. Tabatadze noted that while there are no ethnic Georgians in that area who would use the churches, it is the principle of reciprocity that matters and perhaps the Georgian Orthodox church could establish monasteries there. -------------- Problems with Ethnic Armenians in Georgia -------------- ¶8. (C) Tabatadze claimed that "there always was and always will be separatist interest in Samatskhe-Javakheti." The Ambassador stated that no one in the Armenian government would take such separatist claims seriously. Tabatadze said he talked to individuals in the Parliament who told him that the Armenians were considering invading Samatskhe-Javakheti in 1989 but were restrained by the Russians. The Armenians then focused their attention on reclaiming Nagorno-Karabakh instead. Tabatadze noted that GOG commitment to the COE regarding the return of Meskhetian Turks, who were deported from Samatskhe-Javakheti in 1944 by Stalin, is also a cause of tension. Ethnic Armenians oppose the resettlement of the Meskhetians on their traditional lands, Tabatadze said. ¶9. (C) The GOG is trying to accommodate the ethnic Armenians in Samatskhe-Javakheti by allowing them to study in their own language. According to Tabatadze, the Georgian government funds 144 Armenian-language Schools, mostly in Samatskhe-Javakheti, where even exams are given in Armenian. Those students are then given additional time to study the Georgian language before entering university. Tabatadze compared that to Armenia which has only one school for all ethnic minorities. When the Ambassador asked how many ethnic Georgian children are in Armenia that would need such a school, Tabatadze said there were very few because "Everyone wants to go to Tblisi." Tabatadze said that, especially in light of Georgia's generous minority policy, Georgians had been incensed last summer when President Sargsian had suggested that Georgians make Armenian a "regional language." -------------- Armenians Not Grateful for All They Receive -------------- ¶10. (C) The Georgian Ambassador's overriding theme was that the Armenians, who are dependent on Georgia for trade and access to goods and fuel, are not appreciative of all the Georgians have done for them and do not care that the Georgians receive no benefit for all their good work. As an example, Tabatadze noted the expected March 1 opening of the Lars Border Crossing on the Georgia-Russian border. The Georgians negotiated with the Russians to open that border at Armenian request, and with the hope that the GOAM would show more flexibility on border demarcation. He claimed the opening will not benefit Georgia. The Ambassador pointed out that GOG will receive tariffs and payment for other services for the goods passing through that border crossing and transiting Georgia. ¶11. (S/NF) A more sensitive issue for the GOG is the Georgian granting of overflight privileges for shipments of arms purchased by the GOAM from Russia. The GOG is allowing those arms shipments to pass unhindered as a favor to the GOAM. Tabatadze added that it appears to the GOG that the Armenians are purchasing far more arms than their defense budget would allow. He asked if the USG believed some of those arms were destined for Iran or the Russian base at Gyumri. The Ambassador responded that we share the GOG's concern about the regional arms build-up, but that the USG has looked into these possibilities and believes the arms are destined for Armenia. ¶12. (C) Tabatadze believes that the GOAM is purposefully pressing the Georgians on all these issues because the Armenians believe Georgia is in a position of weakness after the war with Russia, which has left the country in a fragile psychological state. He also believes that the Russians are pushing the GOAM to make many of these demands as part of the Russian campaign against Georgia. Tabatadze confided that YEREVAN 00000103 003 OF 003 the pressure from Armenia was not sitting well with Georgians, who have repeatedly told the GOAM that they will resolve all these issues . "We just need time," he claimed. Tabatadze warned that there was a view in the MFA that Georgia should teach Armenia a lesson by shutting the border, if Armenia persists in its maximalist agenda. "We could close the border in one day," he stated. ¶13. (C) EMBASSY YEREVAN COMMENT: This is the Ambassador's first in-depth conversation with Tabatadze, who is an experienced diplomat and a sympathetic individual. He obviously does not believe that Georgia is getting a fair shake in Armenia and that Armenia is playing outside of the rules by complaining to foreign diplomats about bilateral matters. Ambassador noted that countries often seek outside assistance when they cannot solve their issues bilaterally, and that Georgia was doing exactly the same thing with regard to its issues with Russia. Ambassador also noted that the topics discussed were not only of concern in Armenia, but also among the Diaspora which raises the issues constantly not only with the State Department, but also with the U.S. Congress. ¶14. (C) EMBASSY TBILISI COMMENT: Ambassador Tabatadze's comments notwithstanding, we've never heard anyone in the Foreign Ministry - or anywhere in the Government - seriously propose closing the border with Armenia. Such a move - while certainly getting Armenian attention - would not make sense on many levels. It would be a huge negative for public opinion and for Georgian business (which benefits from Armenia's logistical supply line through Georgia). Plus it would be a hard move to defend while attempting to "sell" Georgia to potential foreign investors as a good place to do business and to set up "regional" operations that might tap into both the Armenian and Azeri markets. This also runs counter to Georgian efforts to reach agreement with Russia on opening the Larsi checkpoint - a move that is intended to benefit Armenia rather than Georgia. END COMMENT. YOVANOVITCH