ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - The head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Croatia, Tim Guldimann, on Tuesday officially said he would soon leave the office and announced his position would be taken
by French diplomat Bernard Poncet. Talking to reporters in Zagreb, Guldimann explained his departure with a decision of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, at the disposal of which he had placed himself upon returning from his previous position, when he headed an OSCE Mission to Chechnya. Guldimann said he was leaving Croatia sooner than he had expected, namely by the end of the week, and announced he should step into office in a Swiss embassy by the end of the month. Speaking of his successor, the Swiss diplomat said Poncet had an excellent predisposition for the new task and one great advantage, i.e. a perfect fluency in Croatian. The 57-year-old Poncet is com
ZAGREB, June 1 (Hina) - The head of the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Croatia, Tim Guldimann,
on Tuesday officially said he would soon leave the office and
announced his position would be taken by French diplomat Bernard
Poncet.
Talking to reporters in Zagreb, Guldimann explained his departure
with a decision of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, at the disposal of
which he had placed himself upon returning from his previous
position, when he headed an OSCE Mission to Chechnya.
Guldimann said he was leaving Croatia sooner than he had expected,
namely by the end of the week, and announced he should step into
office in a Swiss embassy by the end of the month.
Speaking of his successor, the Swiss diplomat said Poncet had an
excellent predisposition for the new task and one great advantage,
i.e. a perfect fluency in Croatian.
The 57-year-old Poncet is coming to head the OSCE Mission to Croatia
from Latvia, where he has been the ambassador of France since 1996.
Four years before, he was the French ambassador to Slovenia, while
acquiring experience in the region also as a member of a European
Community Observer Mission in 1991 and as a French Embassy
secretary in Belgrade in the early 1970s.
Poncet will be introduced to Croatia's top officials, President
Tudjman, Premier Matesa and Foreign Minister Granic, during a visit
OSCE chairman, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek, is to
make to Zagreb on Thursday.
Poncet's arrival has been greeted by Tomislav Vidosevic, the head
of the Croatian government's Office for Cooperation with the OSCE.
(hina) ha jn