VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHYE #1404 3390554
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050554Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6707
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0019
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0018
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0118
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0135
UNCLAS YEREVAN 001404
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PGI, IO/UNP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA IS AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: UNLIKELY TO CHANGE VOTES IN FAVOR OF UNGA
ANTI-ISRAEL BIASED RESOLUTIONS
REF: STATE 159386
1. (SBU) Poloff met with Armenian MFA Director for
International Organizations Dziunik Aghajanian on November 29
to communicate reftel demarche regarding upcoming UNGA votes
to renew Anti-Israeli biased resolutions. Given Armenia's
2006 votes on the three resolutions (Yes on 61/22 and 61/116,
and abstention on 61/23), Poloff requested consideration of
moving all votes to either a "No" or "Abstain" vote due to
problems that these renewed mandates could cause to U.S. and
international efforts to restart the Middle East Peace
Process. Poloff pointed out that recent voting trends on
these resolutions demonstrated a lack of general consensus in
the UNGA on these resolutions and that overall they were seen
to be largely unhelpful in bringing a resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
2. (SBU) Aghajanian regretted that while it had previously
decided to abstain on Resolution 61/23 (at U.S. behest),
Armenia would not change from its current "Yes" on the other
two resolutions due to two primary reasons: 1) Drawing a
parallel between the unsettled issue of Palestine and the
current status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the GOAM as a matter of
principle could not vote to deny the right of
self-determination to the Palestinian people; and 2) Given
Armenia's participation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
and the resulting increase in negative sentiments toward
ethnic Armenian minorities throughout the Arab world, the
GOAM believed it was necessary at this time to stay firm on a
"Yes" vote for the two remaining resolutions.
PENNINGTON