US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2194

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/SNEC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, AJ, AM 
SUBJECT:  OSKANIAN CALLS FOR ARMENIAN "RE- 
UNIFICATION" 
 
 
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
------------------------------- 
OSKANIAN STUNS DIPLOMATIC CROWD 
------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Taking advantage of the official reception 
October 2 on the occasion of the "Day of German 
Unity," Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian called for 
"Armenian reunification" first in an Armenian 
version of his remarks, followed immediately by the 
same comments in English.  Oskanian called for the 
reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to 
outbursts of applause (when he made the comment in 
Armenian) and to stunned, muted chatter when he 
repeated his remarks in English. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
REMARKS PLANNED, THOUGH NOT FULLY SCRIPTED 
------------------------------------------ 
 
3. (SBU) One of Oskanian's senior advisors, coming 
to stand next to us during the remarks, highlighted 
them, noting that they had been discussed in 
advance, and that the Minister intended his remarks 
to refer only to N-K and not to so-called "Western 
Armenia."  With the entire diplomatic corps in 
attendance, it is unlikely that Oskanian expected 
his remarks to go unreported.  What is not clear is 
precisely what he hoped to gain with his statement. 
MFA press spokesman Vladimir Karepetyan backed off 
Oskanian's remarks somewhat in an October 4 
statement, but officially confirmed that, "In his 
speech on the occasion of the Day of German Unity, 
Minister Oskanian expressed the hope that one day 
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh will have the 
opportunity to reunite." 
RICHTER