US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN989

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000989 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR-STHIBEAULT, EUR/PPD-JQUINTUS AND JBASEDOW, 
EUR/CACEN-ESIDEREAS, EUR, EUR/ACE, EUR/SNEC, EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958; N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, KCFE, OPRC, PREL, KPAO, ZJ, AM, RU 
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: MEDIA REACTION TO CODEL HAGEL 
 
1. SUMMARY: On June 3, Senator Hagel led a delegation to 
Armenia which met with President Robert Kocharian and 
Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsyan, and which reviewed 
Armenia's peacekeeping battalion.  Following these meetings, 
Senator Hagel held a press conference with more than 20 
media outlets.  Media coverage was moderate, slightly less 
than expected.  Coverage focused on the Senator's remarks 
regarding the transfer of Russian military equipment from 
Georgia to Armenia and on Senator Hagel's remarks regarding 
the Armenian tragedy of 1915.  END SUMMARY 
 
THE TRANSFER OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO ARMENIA FROM 
GEORGIA IS NEGATIVE FOR ARMENIA 
 
2. In a lengthy article on Senator Hagel's press conference, 
the radical oppositionist daily HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK reported 
on 6/3/05 that Senator Hagel views the transfer of Russian 
military equipment from Georgia to Armenia as negative for 
Armenia.  According to the daily, "The Senator mentioned 
that the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia 
is good news...for Georgia.  By analogy, this good news for 
Georgia is bad news for Armenia because some of the bases 
are being relocated to Armenia." 
 
3. INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY on 6/3/05 took Senator Hagel's 
comments on Russian military bases a step further, stating, 
"U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel said the possible transfer of 
weapons from Russian military bases in Georgia to bases in 
Armenia would endanger the regional balance of power in view 
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict."  (From the transcript: 
Senator Hagel in fact stated, "This is an issue between the 
two governments of Russia and Armenia...I think it has 
always been the policy of the United States...that the 
military presence of other nations in sovereign nations is 
not helpful in regions of the world where we are trying to 
bring peace and prosperity and settle very serious conflicts 
like Nagorno Karabakh.") 
 
4. ARMENIA LIBERTY also focused on the issue of Russian 
military bases.  According to a 6/3/05 article, Senator 
Hagel "signaled U.S. unease over Russian military presence 
in the country as he visited Yerevan at the head of a U.S. 
government delegation comprising senior military officials." 
 
"GENOCIDE" SHOULD BE LEFT TO HISTORIANS 
 
5. AZG, a center-right daily, reported on 6/3/05 that 
Senator Hagel urged Armenia not to focus on the tragedy of 
1915.  According to the newspaper, "The issue of the 
Armenian genocide is not of great interest to the Senator; 
he is mainly focused on current issues." 
 
6. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK stated that Senator Hagel's "'Haylur' 
style changed with his ideas expressed on genocide.  In 
particular, when answering a question on genocide, Senator 
Hagel stated that the issue should be openly discussed by 
historians."  (NOTE: "Haylur" is a news program on state 
television on which Armenian government officials regularly 
express the GOAM view on issues. Haykakan Zhamanak implied 
that Senator Hagel expressed a different view than that of 
the Administration. END NOTE.) 
 
EVANS