US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN970

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR-STHIBEAULT, EUR/PPD-MLOGSDON AND 
SRUEDY, EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS, EUR, EUR/ACE, EUR/SNEC, 
EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958; N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OPRC, PGOV, PREL, KPAO, AM 
SUBJECT: REACTION FROM YEREVAN, ARMENIA: PRESS 
CONFERENCE OF AMBASSADOR JOHN ORDWAY 
 
1.  SUMMARY: All mass media widely covered Ambassador 
John Ordway's press conference held on April 22.  TV 
reports were mainly accurate and factual.  The press 
carried fewer commentaries this time than it has in the 
past.  The majority of the newspapers quoted the 
Ambassador without any comments.  Unlike previous press 
conferences with a wide range of questions asked by the 
journalists, the main topics discussed this time were 
the internal political situation in the country, the 
Armenian Genocide issue and a little bit about Armenian- 
Turkish relations.  Virtually all the papers noted the 
balanced U.S. position expressed by the Ambassador with 
regard to the political situation in Armenia.  The 
following is a summary of some of the articles. END 
SUMMARY 
 
THE AMBASSADOR TRIED TO LOOK NEUTRAL 
 
2. Oppositionist Armenian daily HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK 
(04/23) tried to emphasize those parts of the answers 
that discussed the policy conducted by the authorities. 
"The leitmotiv of the Ambassador's answers was the 
necessity of avoiding violence and beginning a dialogue 
between the authorities and opposition."  "The 
Ambassador's words on beginning a dialogue were more 
probably addressed to the authorities."  "It was 
obvious that for the Ambassador a principal issue was 
not to make any statement that would express support 
for any side.  However, he mentioned several times that 
certain actions by the authorities do not assist in 
beginning a dialogue.  The Ambassador asked a 
rhetorical question - whether it is possible to expect 
that the opposition would engage in a dialogue, when, 
for example, the offices of the opposition parties are 
being raided." 
 
"WE HOPE THAT THE EVENTS OF APRIL 13 WOULD NOT BE 
REPEATED" 
 
3. Centrist Armenian language daily AZG (04/23) wrote: 
"The monthly press conference of U.S. Ambassador John 
Ordway was entirely about the internal political 
situation of the country.  There was obviously a need 
for a press conference taking into account recent 
publications in local as well as foreign press saying 
that the current situation in Armenia is another 
version of the Georgian revolution and is the result of 
cooperation between the opposition and the U.S. 
National Democratic Institute and the Soros Foundation. 
As expected, the Ambassador denied this."  "During this 
period the Ambassador had several meetings with 
representatives of the opposition and the authorities. 
His position coincided with the formulation widely 
circulated today, that is, real political processes 
would start only through dialogue."  "However, is it 
possible to start a dialogue in a deadlocked situation, 
when the positions of the opposition and the 
authorities do not contain tolerance for each other, 
especially after the April 13 events?"  "The Ambassador 
insisted on his opinion, saying that the grounds for a 
dialogue should be laid by the authorities first of 
all."  "Remaining loyal to the spirit of the U.S. State 
Department statement, John Ordway repeated that they 
think that all the arrested people should be released 
and the raids and closure of party offices is not 
acceptable.  Without doubt, the Ambassador talked about 
this with the RA President.  However, the Ambassador 
did not think it right to give details of that talk. 
He just said that the private talks had positive 
results." 
 
"THE MOST CONSTRUCTIVE WAY IS THROUGH A DIALOGUE" 
 
4. Russian language pro-government RESPUBLIKA ARMENIA 
(04/23) wrote: "U.S. Ambassador John Ordway started the 
regular monthly press conference with his welcome in 
Armenian.  After that he invited the journalists to ask 
questions."  "Asked how important are the demands by 
the opposition and whether the opposition provided 
grounds for violence, the Ambassador smiled and said 
that the opposition should ask itself these questions." 
 
U.S. OFFICIAL URGES `RESTRAINT' IN ARMENIAN STANDOFF 
 
5. The Radio Liberty web-site published an article on 
the press conference.  "Ordway also renewed U.S. calls 
for a dialogue between the two rival camps.  But he 
would not be drawn on what specific compromise deals 
could resolve the lingering tensions which might again 
flare up into a violent confrontation next week. 
Ordway implied that both sides are to blame for the 
violence, saying that they should now `ask themselves 
some questions about their activities on that night' 
and act in `in a responsible manner that avoids 
violence and confrontation.'  But echoing an April 15 
statement by the State Department, he did criticize 
police raids on opposition offices and mass arrests 
that followed the troubled anti-Kocharian protest. 
Washington is thought to have played a major role in 
the bloodless overthrow of then Georgian President 
Eduard Shevardnadze, but seems to be walking a more 
delicate line in Armenia."  "In a commentary published 
by `The Wall Street Journal' last week, David Phillips 
of America's influential Council on Foreign Relations 
called for an internationally supervised referendum of 
confidence in `Mr. Kocharian's corrupt and inept 
administration.'  Ordway made it clear that the 
government-connected scholar's views do not reflect the 
official U.S. policy on Armenia." 
 
WALKER