Yerevan/Mediamax/. Today in Yerevan retired U.S. diplomats Jack Matlock and Edward Djerejian told interesting stories from the past, related to Armenia directly or indirectly.

The last U.S. Ambassador to USSR Jack Matlock and one of USA’s best Middle East experts, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Syria Edward Djerejian delivered speeches today at the conference “End of Transition Armenia 25 years On, Now What?” organized by USC Institute of Armenian Studies.

Jack Matlock said he first visited Yerevan in 1961, when he was accompanying a U.S. senator.

“I remember that we were impressed by the huge monument of Stalin that rose above the city. Imagine our surprise the following morning when we saw the monument was gone – removed at night,” said the former Special Assistant to President Reagan.

Jack Matlock noted that a significant historical event took place during his second visit to Yerevan in November of 1989 – the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Monument to Stalin in Yerevan

Photo: Robert Lebek

Touching on the end of Cold War and collapse of USSR, Jack Matlock stated he considered it wrong to view those events as the West’s victory.

“The Cold War ended two years prior to the collapse of USSR, and it happened through negotiations, not West’s “victory”. As for the collapse of USSR, that was the result of the Union’s domestic processes and not external pressure,” Jack Matlock said, noting that many people in the West were hoping a renewed USSR would remain.

Edward Djerejian told he first visited Armenia in the last year of his service at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and did it on purpose, as many believed that an Armenian American’s visit to Armenia could stir up “nationalistic moods”. According to him, the Armenian Communist leaders treated him rather coldly, while Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I received him with great warmth.

Jack Matlock

 

Edward Djerejian told that when he was still a young diplomat in 1963, a USSR leader Anastas Mikoyan met with the U.S. Secretary of State in Washington.

“My father told me about Mikoyan and said it’d be great if I could meet him. I waited till Mikoyan’s meeting with the Secretary ended, approached him in the narrow hallway and asked in Armenian, “Mr Mikoyan, how are you doing?” Mikoyan stopped, looked at me with surprise and asked, “Who are you?” I introduced myself. Mikoyan asked, “So you’re Armenian, right?” When I confirmed, he clapped me on the shoulder and said he was glad Armenians were doing well in America,” Edward Djerejian recalled.

Former Assistant to U.S. Secretary of State told that in summer of 1991, after the American-Syrian negotiations in Lisbon, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker revealed he was going to appoint Djerejian the U.S. Ambassador to USSR.

Jack Matlock and Edward Djerejian

Photo: Baker Institute

“I flew to Damascus, anticipating telling the news to my wife. But it turned out that while I was in the air, a lot changed. Heydar Aliyev said to the head of USSR MFA Alexander Bessmertnykh that an ethnic Armenian couldn’t take a U.S. Ambassador’s position in USSR. When I went home in Damascus, I was going to tell the news to my wife, but she spoke first, “The Secretary of State called and said you’re going to Washington, not Moscow, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs,” Djerejian recalled.

Former American diplomat stated that establishment of a normal dialogue between Russia and USA is extremely important for Armenia and the settlement of the NK conflict.

“Russia is the main player among the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, not USA or France. Russia is the party with the strongest influence in Caucasus,” Djerejian said.