ARMENIA….

Newly elected President Robert Kocharian apparently plans tocombine economic reform at home with hard-line irredentism abroad. He hasinstalled a young, pro-reform, and largely non-partisan government thatincludes eight professional economists among the 21 ministers. Ten of theministers are holdovers from the previous government. The new ForeignMinister is Vardan Oskanian, 43, a graduate of the Fletcher School of Lawand Diplomacy who renounced his American citizenship in order to take thispost. Oskanian will also head a new Department of Diaspora Affairs,designed to build closer ties to Armenians abroad, especiallyArmenian-Americans. … Oskanian in recent interviews rejected as”absolutely unacceptable” proposals to preserve Azerbaijan’s de juresovereignty over Karabakh while ensuring broad autonomy for the Armenianenclave. Oskanian asserted that “Hai Dat” — the Armenian Cause — willplay an important role in foreign policy. In this context “Hai Dat” meanssecuring recognition of an Armenian claim to territories whose Armenianpopulation was massacred or forced out in the early part of this century.Oskanian’s stance will sharpen conflicts between Armenia and all its neighbors.