VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYE #0252/01 0811255
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 211255Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7279
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1560
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0585

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2018 
TAGS: AM PGOV PREL AZ
SUBJECT: ARMENIA ACCUSES AZERBAIJAN OF UNDERMINING N-K 
PEACE PROCESS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA JOSEPH PENNINGTON, REASONS 1.5(B,D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (C) FM Oskanian convoled all Yerevan Chiefs of Mission on 
March 21 to raise the alarm about what he described as 
Aserbaijan's efforts to undermine the N-K peace process, and 
ultimately to dissolve the Minsk Group.  Oskanian decried the 
recent UN resolution on N-K pushed by Azerbaijan and, 
speaking in apocalyptic terms, added that "if there is ever 
another war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, we will be able 
to trace it back to that document."  The FM distributed a 
non-paper which, among other things, said that Armenia "may 
review its policy towards Nagorno-Karabakh in order to assure 
N-K's right to self-determination and security."  End summary. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
UN RESOLUTION HAS DONE "IRREPARABLE HARM" 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) FM Oskanian convoked all Yerevan Chiefs of Mission to 
discuss what he termed the "increasingly dangerous 
intransigence" of Azerbaijan" with regard to the N-K 
conflict.  The FM recalled that Armenia "had warned all 
along" that the UN resolution on N-K would do "irreparable 
harm" to the peace process.  "Unfortunately," he continued, 
"we are now being proved right."  After asking the Chiefs of 
Mission not to take notes on what he was about to say, 
Oskanian struck an apocalytic tone: "We hope there is never 
another war between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. "But if 
that ever happens, we will be able to trace the origins of 
that war back to this resolution." 
 
¶3. (C) Oskanian said that in Armenia's view, the only 
document relevant to the peace process is the one that 
reflects the Minsk Group talks.  But that document, Oskanian 
asserted, is "going down the drain" because of Azerbaijani 
intransigence.  He alleged that the Azerbaijani Government 
had written a formal letter to the OSCE Secretariat that 
"virtually demanded the dissolution of the Minsk Group."  The 
Azerbaijanis "are now on record," he charged, as seeking to 
undermine a document "that is the product of 2 years of joint 
efforts" between the two countries.  That document, the FM 
said, successfully reconciles the two conflicting principles 
of territorial integrity and self-determination. 
 
¶4. (C) Oskanian concluded by saying he had heard earlier in 
the day that President Aliyev had declined a possible meeting 
with PM and President-elect Sargsian at the upcoming NATO 
Summit in Bucharest.  He characterized the Azerbaijani 
position -- that such a meeting would violate principles of 
protocol -- as "laughable."  The FM argued that the real goal 
in refusing such a meeting is to "delegitimize the Minsk 
Group document and the very existence of the Minsk Group." 
 
-------------------------- 
TEXT OF ARMENIAN NON-PAPER 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The Foreign Minister distributed the following 
non-paper in support of his points. 
 
BEGIN TEXT. Although an overwhelming majority of UN Member 
States did not support Azerbaijan, the non-binding resolution 
"on the situation in occupied territories of Azerbaijan" 
passed the UN General Assembly with 39 votes last week. 
 
Despite the conceptual rejection of Azerbaijan's position, 
the existence of this non-binding General Assembly resolution 
is a fact.  It has emboldened the Azerbaijanis.  Immediately 
following the vote, Azerbaijani foreign ministry officials 
rejected the compromise approach of the negotiation process 
and insisted on their own terms, citing the text of the 
resolution. 
 
Further, in the post-resolution period, Azerbaijan is seeking 
ways to dismantle the OSCE MG co-chairmanship, and therefore, 
the negotiating process.  Past efforts to discredit the 
American, Russian and French co-chairs have multiplied with 
Azerbaijan's extreme and unwarranted accusations about the 
role and vision of those three important countries. 
 
Azerbaijan has already indicated that they will not use the 
opportunity of a multilateral meeting at the NATO/EAPC 
Bucharest Summit to meet with Armenia's President-elect.  In 
other words, they do not wish to further legitimize the OSCE 
 
negotiating document which has evolved over two years under 
the auspices of the Minsk Group co-chairs and with input from 
the Azerbaijanis, at the highest levels. 
 
The only document that will bring a settlement to this 
conflict is one that will be signed by Armenia, Nagorno 
Karabakh and Azerbaijan. 
 
The co-chair countries in particular, and the OSCE 
membership, must rouse and compel renewed seriousness about 
reining in Azerbaijan's self-deceptive maneuvers.  Rejection 
of the existing balanced, compromise document, coupled with 
the UN resolution's passage may indeed be the first steps 
toward a new war in the region, because together, they will 
have removed all acceptable channels of dialog. 
 
By working within the OSCE consensus environment, we had 
begun to achieve a compromise solution with creative ways of 
reconciling the principles of territorial integrity and 
self-determination.  The MG Co-chairs said prior to the UN 
vote, "The proposal transmitted to the sides in Madrid 
comprises a balanced package of principles that are currently 
under negotiation." 
 
Azerbaijan's confidence in their increased military capacity, 
combined with reliance on documents, albeit non-binding, 
which call for one-sided solutions will aggravate the 
adversarial environment and further debilitate a combustible 
region. 
 
In order to assure Nagorno Karabakh's right to 
self-determination and security, Armenia may review its 
policy towards Nagorno Karabakh. 
 
The international community must seriously review the 
situation in this new phase.  The consequences of this 
resolution will do lasting damage if appropriate responsive 
measures are not quickly taken. 
 
The region's security, Europe's energy security and the 
future of a generation are at stake. 
 
END TEXT 
PENNINGTON