US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN1940

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001940 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, AM 
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED'S MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER SARGSIAN 
 
 
Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
USG Participants: 
 
EUR A/S Daniel Fried 
Ambassador Evans 
EUR/SNEC Elizabeth Rood 
 
Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsian 
Lt. Hovhannes Ghazarian (interpreter) 
 
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"UNREALIZED POTENTIAL" 
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1. (C) Assistant Secretary Fried described for Defense 
Minister Sargsian a sense in Washington that history in 
Armenia's neighborhood is accelerating, for better or worse. 
U.S.-Armenian relations, he said, have "unrealized 
potential."  The United States wants to work with all its 
friends in the region.  Whatever others might say, the U.S. 
is not in favor of revolutions; rather we are interested in 
strong reforms.  Armenia is moving in a positive direction, 
as its two nearest neighbors were also moving in interesting 
directions. 
 
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U.S. NOT IN COMPETITION WITH RUSSIA 
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2. (C) Defense Minister Sargsian said that Armenia was headed 
toward Europe, because Armenians considered themselves 
members of the European family.  But he said Armenia now 
needed to find the answers to a number of questions.  The 
Minister said that for Armenia the optimal situation was when 
relations between Russian and the United States were good. 
Armenia had never sought to benefit from contradictions 
between the two.  Such a small and weak country was Armenia 
that even small events could be critical; a country with only 
one gas pipeline had to make all of its choices with that 
pipeline in mind. 
 
3. (C) Fried said that the United States had never regarded 
Armenia as an object of competition between ourselves and the 
Russians, and we do not want to develop our relations with 
Armenia at the expense of Russia.  It is good for Armenia to 
have good relations with Moscow.  We do not seek to weaken 
Russia in this part of the world, but do want the countries 
here to be sovereign and at peace.  We want Armenia to 
succeed, and would not ask Armenia to weaken its ties to 
Russia.  Armenia might, for that matter, help to show Russia 
the way, by reforming and developing in a democratic 
direction while being a friend to Russia.  As the Europeans 
are absorbed in internal issues at the moment, it is perhaps 
easier for Americans than for the Europeans to see Armenia as 
an eventual part of Europe.  Washington did not see events in 
the region as based on a zero-sum principle, although we do 
sense that our Russian friends are nervous.  Accusations that 
U.S. policy is Trotskyite -- that is, favoring permanent 
revolution -- is not serious.  Reforms, though, are 
necessary, which is why we place so much importance on the 
referendum on the constitutional amendments in November. 
 
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PROSPECTS FOR PEACE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH 
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4. (C) Fried noted that a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement would 
open up interesting possibilities for Armenia.  He asked what 
the Minister thought of the situation and how the United 
States might help.  Sargsian recalled the recent meetings of 
the Armenian and Azeri presidents and said that the way 
forward that was currently on the table was "optimal."  There 
was no other way forward.  This "compromise solution" was the 
only possible solution. 
 
5. (C) The A/S agreed that there was wisdom in discussion and 
compromise, and that to speak in terms of victory and defeat 
makes no sense.  Azeri Foreign Minister Mammadyarov is a 
serious person, and we are encouraged enough to think that 
2006 should be the time for a major step forward on N-K.  We 
will do all we can, but ultimately it would be up to the 
parties to reach an agreement. 
 
6. (C) Sargsian said he had doubts about whether the Azeris 
really wanted to make the deal that was on the table work. 
He stressed he was not particularly worried by this 
possibility, as he had observed the problem at all stages of 
its development.  It was not necessary to speak of 
"compromise;" one could talk about a "solution," if that were 
easier.  The important thing was that the situation not 
revert to conflict. 
 
7. (C) Fried agreed, saying that conflicts keep countries in 
the region vulnerable and weak.  What the Central and Eastern 
Europeans had achieved in their region since 1989 was a 
positive example that opened their door to Europe. 
 
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TURKEY 
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8. (C) Turning to Turkey, Fried said that Prime Minister 
Erdogan was doing a good job, despite some difficulties in 
our relationship.  He has dealt with a number of difficult 
questions.  Armenia's leaders should keep in mind that Turkey 
is changing.  The fact that Turks are now thinking about 
Armenia is progress.  Absent an agreement on N-K, however, 
there was not much Turkey could do.  Still, the situation is 
much improved as compared to even five years ago. 
 
9. (C) Sargsian said that the prosperity of Armenia 
ultimately depended on the opening of the border with Turkey, 
which would "make us three times freer than we are."  He 
added that Armenians living abroad did not have to face such 
fateful decisions as did the GOAM. 
 
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MOVING TOWARD EUROPE? 
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10. (C) Fried said that, as Armenia continued to emerge and 
head toward Europe, we wanted our relations to develop. 
Every country in the region, e.g., Georgia, had its problems. 
 He told Sargsian he was glad he understood that the U.S. was 
not trying to exclude Russia from the region.  Looking around 
the region, it was clear that fearful leaders make mistakes. 
Reform through constitutional processes makes good sense. 
 
11. (C) Sargsian noted how useful it would be for all 
countries in the region to have the railway through Abkhazia 
reopened.  After some sharing of impressions of personalities 
in Georgia (A/S Fried's next stop), the meeting concluded. 
 
12.  (U) EUR/FO has cleared this cable. 
EVANS