PARIS. – The European Parliament has recently adopted a document on Armenia, offering to replace France by the EU in the OSCE Minsk Group.

The document is likely to be passed, as the Parliament has voted for it and the plenary session does the same. However, it does not necessarily mean that France has to leave the MG, Gaidz Minassian, expert at French Foundation for Strategic Research said in an interview with Armenian Zhamanak (The Times) newspaper.

“We can view the issue from several angles: whether France represents the EU, or should it leave for another EU member state or should EU itself to replace France? Engagement in the MG is quite different from co-chairing the group. If the EU desires to more actively participate in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, it needs to clarify its format of participation whether it wants to be a co-chair or just a member of the MG,” the expert said.

The expert considers it is not necessary to claim that the document was initiated by Turkey and Azerbaijan, as the Europeans have their own interests. EU has an inner battle, where France and Germany desire to have a decisive role in important processes. Besides, other member states will also wish to replace France or Germany. Anyway the expert does not consider that France will yield.

“I do not consider that France yields its place in the MG. It is more likely that the French representative becomes the one for the EU as well,” Minasyan concluded.