ARMENIA PURSUES INDEPENDENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 13989


E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR UR
SUBJECT: ARMENIA PURSUES INDEPENDENCE

REF: A) MOSCOW 13898 B) MOSCOW 12972 C) MOSCOW 12373
D) 90 MOSCOW 30879 E) 90 MOSCOW 32942


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT

SUMMARY
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2. DURING A MAY 13-16 TRIP TO ARMENIA:

--ARMENIAN OFFICIALS DESCRIBED THEIR PARTICIPATION IN
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OTHER FIVE REPUBLICS EXCLUDED FROM
THE NINE-PLUS-ONE DECLARATION.

--ARMENIAN SUPREME SOVIET CHAIRMAN TER-PETROSYAN
(PROTECT) SAID ARMENIA INTENDED TO PURSUE INDEPENDENCE
ACCORDING TO THE MECHANISMS STIPULATED BY SOVIET LAW.

--THE RESIGNATION OF ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF
POGOSYAN REFLECTED THE DISILLUSIONMENT OF ARMENIAN
COMMUNISTS WITH THE CPSU.

--TER-PETROSYAN DESCRIBED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SOVIET
MILITARY TO ALLOW ARMENIAN CITIZENS TO SERVE ONLY IN
ARMENIA.


3. THIS IS THE THIRD OF THREE REPORTS ON THE TRIP. THE
FIRST REPORT COVERED ARMENIA'S DISPUTE WITH AZERBAYDZHAN
(REF A). THE SECOND ANALYZED ARMENIA'S FOREIGN POLICY
(SEPTEL). END SUMMARY.


THE SIX VERSUS THE NINE-PLUS-ONE
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4. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH POLOFFS, ARMENIAN SUPREME
SOVIET CHAIRMAN LEVON TER-PETROSYAN STRESSED THAT THE
APRIL 23 SO-CALLED NINE-PLUS-ONE DECLARATION WAS ONLY A
TACTICAL AND PROPAGANDA STEP WITH NO REAL MEANING.
TER-PETROSYAN SAID THAT KAZAKHSTAN PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV
HAD BROACHED THE IDEA ORIGINALLY IN COUNCIL OF THE
FEDERATION MEETINGS EARLY THIS YEAR. THE ARMENIAN LEADER
SAID GORBACHEV NEEDED SUCH AN AGREEMENT GOING INTO THE
COMMUNIST PARTY PLENUM AND YEL'TSIN, AT THAT POINT,
NEEDED TO SHOW HE WAS WILLING TO COMPROMISE TO SAVE THE
UNION. TER-PETROSYAN ADDED THAT HE WAS ABSOLUTELY SURE
THE REPUBLICS WOULD NOT SIGN THE LATEST UNION TREATY
DRAFT.


5. TER-PETROSYAN OBSERVED THAT UKRAINE SPEARHEADED THE
GROUP OF REPUBLICS WHICH PRESENTED THE GREATEST CHALLENGE
TO THE CENTER. TER-PETROSYAN INDICATED THAT DURING THE
COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION MEETINGS, UKRAINIAN LEADER
KRAVCHUK WAS THE MOST ADAMANT ABOUT REDUCING THE CENTER'S
POWERS VIS-A-VIS THE CENTER. BECAUSE UKRAINE IS A VERY
RICH AND POWERFUL REPUBLIC, KRAVCHUK IS SURE TO HAVE A
MAJOR INFLUENCE ON THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE UNION
TREATY NEGOTIATIONS, ACCORDING TO TER-PETROSYAN.


6. TER-PETROSYAN TOLD POLOFFS THAT SIX MONTHS AGO,
MOLDAVIAN PRESIDENT MIRCHA SNEGUR INTRODUCED A PLAN FOR
COOPERATION AMONG THE SIX REPUBLICS WHICH HAD NO
INTENTION OF SIGNING THE UNION TREATY. THESE INCLUDE THE
THREE BALTIC REPUBLICS, GEORGIA, MOLDOVA, AND ARMENIA.
AT THAT TIME THESE REPUBLICS HAD A STRONG SENSE THAT THE
CENTER WOULD IMPLEMENT PUNITIVE MEASURES TO KEEP THEM IN
THE UNION. ARMENIAN SUPREME SOVIET FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE MEMBER HOVANES IGITYAN (PROTECT) HAD JUST
RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO MOLDOVA AND WAS PREPARING TO
LEAVE FOR THE BALTICS THE NEXT DAY TO CONTINUE THESE
DISCUSSIONS. IGITYAN IS THE WORKING-LEVEL ARMENIAN
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE FORMULATION OF COUNTERMEASURES TO
ANY KIND OF ECONOMIC PRESSURE THE NINE MAY TRY TO INFLICT
ON THESE SIX REPUBLICS.


7. IGITYAN INDICATED THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS HAD BECOME
MORE FREQUENT SINCE THE APRIL 23 SIGNING OF THE
NINE-PLUS-ONE DECLARATION. HE ADDED THAT THE LEADERS OF
THE SIX REPUBLICS HAD NOT YET MET BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN
BUSY WITH THEIR OWN PROBLEMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
REPUBLICS. (COMMENT: BALTIC CONTACTS HAVE TOLD US THAT
BALTIC LEADERS ARE WARY OF ANY TYPE OF FORMAL AGREEMENT
AMONG THE SIX BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WISH TO DILUTE THEIR
ARGUMENTS FOR INDEPENDENCE BY INCLUDING REPUBLICS WHOSE
INCORPORATION IS ACCEPTED BY THE WEST. END COMMENT.)


8. TER-PETROSYAN MAINTAINED THAT ANY KIND OF ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS AGAINST THE SIX REPUBLICS WOULD BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO CARRY OUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE
SOVIET ECONOMIC SYSTEM. HE ASSERTED THAT THE CLOSE
ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF THE REPUBLICS WOULD MAKE IT VERY
HARD FOR THE CENTER OR THE NINE REPUBLICS TO TAKE ACTION
WITHOUT SUFFERING RETALIATION. THUS, HE CONCLUDED THAT
SUCH ECONOMIC PRESSURE WOULD BACKFIRE ON THE CENTER.



A LEGAL PATH TO INDEPENDENCE
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9. TER-PETROSYAN OUTLINED FOR POLOFFS HIS VISION OF THE
PATH TO ARMENIA'S INDEPENDENCE. FIRST, ARMENIA INTENDED
TO FOLLOW THE USSR SUPREME SOVIET LAW ON SECESSION. THIS
PROCESS WILL BEGIN WITH THE SEPTEMBER 21 REPUBLIC
REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE. SOON AFTER, ARMENIAN
OFFICIALS PLAN TO HOLD REPUBLIC ELECTIONS. AFTER THE
ELECTIONS, THE NEW REPUBLIC SUPREME SOVIET WILL DRAFT A
NEW CONSTITUTION. FINALLY, THE REPUBLIC WILL COMPLETE
THE FINAL STAGES FOR COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE
SOVIET UNION. TER-PETROSYAN AND ARMENIAN SUPREME SOVIET
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN VARDANIYAN
(PROTECT) COULD NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC TIME FRAME AND
INDICATED THAT THE PROCESS COULD TAKE A LONG TIME.
TER-PETROSYAN MAINTAINED THAT ARMENIA'S CHOICE TO FOLLOW
THE LEGAL ROUTE TO INDEPENDENCE HAD UPSET THE CENTER AND
THEREFORE THE CENTER EXACERBATED THE
ARMENIAN-AZERBAYDZHANI DISPUTE (REF A).


ARMENIAN COMMUNISTS DISILLUSIONED
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10. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTY AND
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF
STEFAN POGOSYAN RESIGNED ON MAY 13 BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO
COLLUDE WITH THE CENTER AGAINST THE ARMENIANS. LOCAL
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SERZHIK DOVLADBEGYAN (PROTECT) TOLD
POLOFFS POGOSYAN HAD RESIGNED BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN ASKED
TO FORM A NATIONAL SALVATION COMMITTEE IN ARMENIA TO WORK
AGAINST THE ARMENIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT. KAMU
KOCHARYAN (PROTECT),ANOTHER LOCAL OFFICIAL, SAID
POGOSYAN RESIGNED BECAUSE "HE DID NOT WANT TO BETRAY HIS
PEOPLE." OTHER OFFICIALS TOLD US THE LAST STRAW FOR
POGOSYAN WAS WHEN HE ASKED GORBACHEV FOR A MEETING TO
DISCUSS THE DEPORTATION OF GETASHEN AND MARTUNASHEN (REF
A) AND WAS REFUSED.


11. DZHEMA ANANYAN (PROTECT),FORMERLY A VERY ACTIVE
ARMENIAN COMMUNIST PARTY ACTIVIST AND MEMBER OF THE USSR
CPSU CONTROL COMMISSION, EMBODIED THE BITTERNESS LOCAL
COMMUNISTS FEEL TOWARD THE CPSU AND THE CENTER. RUBEN
SHUGAROV (PROTECT),AN ARMENIAN SUPREME SOVIET STAFFER,
TOLD POLOFFS THAT ANANYAN HAD BEEN A STRONG COMMUNIST
PARTY STALWART IN ARMENIA AND HAS SPENT MOST OF HER
CAREER ESPOUSING COMMUNIST PARTY IDEOLOGY AND IDEALS.

12. WHEN POLOFFS MET ANANYAN ON MAY 15 IN HER OFFICE IN
THE ARMENIAN BORDER CITY OF IDZHEVAN, SHE EXUDED
BITTERNESS AND DISGUST TOWARD THE CENTER AND THE CPSU.
SHE ACCUSED THE CENTER OF CONDUCTING "A CAMPAIGN OF STATE
TERROR AGAINST THE ARMENIANS." SHE ADDED, "I HAVE BEEN A
LOYAL AND DEDICATED COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIAL FOR 40 YEARS
AND THIS IS HOW THEY TREAT US|" SHE SHOWED POLOFFS A
COPY OF HER PUBLISHED STATEMENT IN WHICH SHE RESIGNED
FROM THE CPSU CONTROL COMMISSION AND AIRED HER DISGUST
WITH THE CENTER'S SUPPORT OF AZERBAYDZHAN AND THE
SHELLING OF VILLAGES ALONG THE ARMENIAN-AZERBAYDZHANI
BORDER. SHE ALSO REFLECTED THAT "IT IS STRANGE THAT THEY
WOULD GIVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE TO A MAN WHO WOULD
CONDUCT THIS KIND OF TERROR CAMPAIGN."

ARMENIAN DRAFTEES TO SERVE ONLY IN ARMENIA?
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13. TER-PETROSYAN SAID ARMENIAN OFFICIALS ARE ENGAGED IN
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SOVIET ARMY OVER THE STATUS OF
ARMENIA'S DRAFTEES AND WHERE THEY WILL SERVE. ACCORDING
TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH THE SOVIET ARMY, ARMENIA
WOULD CONCLUDE ITS OWN AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER REPUBLICS
ABOUT WHERE SOLDIERS WOULD SERVE. TER-PETROSYAN SAID
THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CONCLUDING SUCH AN AGREEMENT
WITH LITHUANIA, FOR EXAMPLE. THE ARMENIAN LEADER SAID
THE PLAN HAS THE BLESSING OF USSR DEFENSE MINISTER YAZOV
AND ONE OF HIS DEPUTIES, WHO HAS JUST BEEN IN ARMENIA TO
FINALIZE THE AGREEMENT. TER-PETROSYAN SAID THAT ARMENIA
WAS PARTICULARLY ANXIOUS TO SETTLE THIS ISSUE,
PARTICULARLY GIVEN THEIR HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE WITH
RUSSIAN TROOPS. HE SAID THAT IN 1918 AND 1942, RUSSIAN
SOLDIERS HAD ABANDONED ARMENIA TO THE ENEMY AND HAD NOT
DEFENDED THE REPUBLIC AGAINST HOSTILE FORCES. "WITH OUR
OWN PART OF THE ARMY STAFFED BY ARMENIANS, THIS WOULD NOT
HAPPEN," HE SAID.


14. TER-PETROSAN ALSO TOLD POLOFFS THAT THE ARMENIAN
SUPREME SOVIET HAD RECENTLY CREATED AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH
DEFENSE COMMISSION, WHICH WOULD COORDINATE THE ACTIVITIES
OF SOVIET ARMY, USSR MVD, ARMENIAN MVD, CIVIL DEFENSE,
VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE ARMY AND
AIR FORCE (DOSAAF),AND KGB TROOPS IN ARMENIA.
TER-PETROSYAN SAID HIS GOALS WERE TO ELIMINATE ILLEGAL
PARAMILITARY GROUPS, TO STRENGTHEN THE MILITIA, AND
PROTECT THE REPUBLIC'S BORDERS.


COLLINS