US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN772

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000772 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PGOV, PREL, AM 
SUBJECT:  NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RATIFIES NATO PFP SOFA 
 
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
2. (SBU) The Armenian National Assembly ratified the 
NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) Status of Forces 
Agreement (SOFA) March 31.  The GOAM signed the 
agreement on October 28, 2003.  Under Armenian law, the 
agreement goes into effect with no further Presidential 
action necessary.  In a meeting with us today, Defense 
Minister Serge Sargsyan noted that the SOFA 
ratification was an important step for Armenia's 
increased cooperation with NATO and further 
participation in PfP activities. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment:  The GOAM clearly considers the 
signing and ratification of the SOFA agreement as a 
significant step towards strengthening its defense 
cooperation ties with NATO and the United States. 
Along with the SOFA ratification, Armenia hosted the 
Cooperative Best Effort 03 exercises in June 2003 and 
deployed peacekeepers to NATO's KFOR operation in 
Kosovo, and MOD sources told us March 30 that they are 
on track to ratify the Acquisition Cross-Servicing 
Agreement (ACSA) as well. 
 
4. (SBU) Despite the recent murder of an Armenian 
officer at a PfP training program in Budapest and the 
continued dispute with Azerbaijan over Armenia's level 
of attendance at the Cooperate Best Effort 04 
exercises, both the MFA and MOD have maintained that 
Armenia is intent on further integrating into Euro- 
Atlantic security structures.  The GOAM insists that 
there is no contradiction in Armenia's foreign and 
security policies, as the country can maintain strong 
defense relations with Russia while enhancing its 
cooperation with NATO.  The signing and ratification of 
the NATO PfP SOFA signals continued willingness, 
according to Deputy Foreign Minister Tatul Margarian, 
to take Armenia's relations with NATO from "zero to 
respected partner." 
WALKER