US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2542

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN AND EUR/SNEC 
USNATO FOR UNDERWOOD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, AM, NATO, AZ 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR SCORES ARMENIANS FOR NO-SHOW AT NATO 
SEMINAR 
 
 
Classified By: DCM A.F.Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1.  (C) The decision not to send a delegation to NATO's 
Rose-Roth seminar in Baku was "difficult to understand" and 
"a mistake" for Armenia."  That was the message the 
Ambassador delivered to Tigran Torosian, Deputy Speaker of 
Armenia's National Assembly (NA) during a November 26 office 
call.  Torosian told the Ambassador that the decision not to 
send the delegation was taken primarily by NA Speaker Artur 
Baghdasarian.  Baghdasarian had sent a letter to his 
counterpart in Baku requesting a personal security guarantee 
but had received no direct reply.  Torosian admitted that 
Baghdasarian's decision seemed to be based as much on his 
affront at not receiving a reply as on his concern for the 
security of the parliamentarians and staffers slated to 
attend the conference.  Torosian also whined about Azeri 
non-attendance at some earlier events hosted by the National 
Assembly in Yerevan. 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador pointed out the many steps that the 
USG and NATO had taken to ensure security of all delegations. 
 Armenia's absence at the conference showed a lack of 
readiness to engage.  The Ambassador suggested that Armenia 
take prompt steps to remedy this mistake, preferably by 
Oskanian's agreeing to meet with FM Mammadyarov as soon as 
possible. 
 
3.  (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Tatul Margarian told us 
November 26 that the Foreign Ministry was not involved in the 
decision to withhold the delegation; he assumed it was made 
by Baghdasarian.  The Government's readiness in general to 
engage in Baku was made clear by the attendance of senior 
GOAM officials in Azerbaijan at recent symposia on energy and 
transport.  He understood how this decision would be taken in 
Washington, at NATO and elsewhere, and recognized that 
Armenia had made a misstep. 
EVANS