YEREVAN. – Replacement of American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick was not a surprise, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters.

The deputy minister recalled the principle of rotation: the co-chair is replaced when his term in office comes to an end.

When asked about the company that James Warlick plans to join, especially company’s ties to Vladimir Putin, Kocharyan said that after stepping down as a co-chair Warlick is free to do whatever he wants.

However, the Armenian official noted that the previous American mediator Matthew Bryza is an example of one-sided approach.

In general, the deputy minister urged not to overestimate the importance of individuals appointed as co-chairs.

“There is a policy of the country that is being carried out by appointed officials. The very change of a co-chair does not mean that people will come and start from scratch. The person appointed gets acquainted with the process beforehand and “goes with the flow”. Of course, when talking about the president [US], the situation is slightly different. There are established institutions and expert groups, and drastic moves are unlikely. But the president has broad powers, and some changes are possible,” Kocharyan added.