US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN611

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2006 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, AM, BO, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: CHR-61: US-EU DEMARCHE ON BELARUS, BUT ARMENIA 
STILL NOT READY TO SUPPORT 
 
REF: A. STATE 56093 
 
     B. YEREVAN 521 
 
Classified By: DCM A.F.Godfrey for reason 1.4 (b,d) 
 
Summary 
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1.  (C) On April 6, together with the EU Presidency rep, we 
urged Armenia to vote against a no-action motion on the 
Belarus resolution at the UNCHR.  MFA reps said they 
appreciated the joint approach and also the substance of the 
demarche, but said that no decision had yet been taken on how 
Armenia would vote.  Any decision to vote against Belarus, 
which has a consistent track record of supporting Armenia, 
would have to be approved by President Kocharian  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (C) On April 6, DCM and British DHM Richard Hyde met with 
Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Baiburtian to deliver ref a 
points and to urge that Armenia vote against a no-action 
motion on the Belarus resolution and subsequently vote to 
support passage.  As Luxembourg has no representation in 
Armenia, the UK is acting as the representative of the EU 
presidency.  Delivery of these points was delayed because the 
UK Embassy had not received instructions.  According to Hyde, 
Luxembourg had failed to inform London and with 
communications links slow from Brussels, the only way he was 
able to get the go-ahead to join us was to ask a member of 
the UK delegation in Geneva to make a direct approach to the 
Luxembourg delegation. 
 
3.  (C) We pressed Baiburtian hard, but he refused to make a 
commitment, citing reasons similar to those FM Oskanian gave 
to the Ambassador on March 24 (ref b).  Baiburtian said that 
he recognized the importance we attached to the issue; all of 
Armenia's senior foreign policy actors knew of the 
Ambassador's repeated approaches and of DAS Kennedy's 
intervention with FM Oskanian.  This new, joint approach with 
the EU would also be carefully considered. 
 
4.  (C) Baiburtian said that any decision to vote against 
Belarus would have to be approved personally by President 
Kocharian.  With the Putin visit now in the past, perhaps the 
issue could be seen in a different light, he speculated.  He 
agreed to inform us as soon as a decision is reached on how 
Armenia would cast its vote. 
 
Comment 
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5.  (C) While it remains unlikely that Armenia will join us 
to allow an open debate on Belarus, this joint approach with 
the EU ratcheted up the pressure and will prompt a new 
discussion of how the Armenian delegation will vote. 
EVANS