FRENCH AMBASSADOR SERZH SMESSOV MAY BE APPOINTED AS OSCE MG CO-CHAIR THIS SUMMER

Tert.am
20.05.10

French Ambassador to Armenia Serzh Smesov may replace the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairman Bernard Fassier.

According to Russian language news agency REGNUM the French embassy in
Armenia has denied that news. However, citing its sources, the agency
said that Smesov is preparing to assume that position of mediator.

"To provide an additional stimulus to the settlement of the Karabakh
issue it is necessary to completely change either the conflicting
parties or the representatives of the Minsk Group co-chair states. The
second is far easier to fulfill, and for that reason two – Russian
and US – mediators were replaced. New co-chairs Igor Popov and Robert
Bradtke have already got acquainted with the presidents and foreign
ministers of the sides, and it is high time to replace also the French
long-standing co-chair Bernard Fassier," explained the source, adding
that Serzh Smessov is a suitable candidate, as firstly, he is familiar
with the history of this conflict and, secondly, he speaks Russian.

Further the source mentions that Smessov’s mission in Armenia as
ambassador is drawing to the an end, and that he might be appointed
as OSCE MG co-chair either in fall or in summer this year.