SUSPICION OVER THE FUTURE OF THE OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001094

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USOSCE FOR SIBILLA AND TRAUB

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM OSCE AM
SUBJECT: SUSPICION OVER THE FUTURE OF THE OSCE YEREVAN OFFICE



1. (SBU) OSCE Office in Yerevan 's outgoing Economic and
Environmental Officer and current Acting Deputy Head Jeannette
Kloetzer revealed to POLOFF that there seems to be some confusion
over her successor once she leaves her current position September 27
to become DCM at OSCE's Office in Kazakhstan. Kloetzer reports
Yerevan OSCE Office DCM Marc Bojanic, who is acting COM, was
summoned to the MFA and asked to refrain from submitting the request
for Kloetzer's replacement until FM Oskanian returns from meetings
with OSCE in Vienna. Oskanian is reportedly going to request that
the position be nationalized, and thus filled by an Armenian local
hire. Currently, OSCE Yerevan has six international positions, of
which three will be vacant once Kloetzer leaves, including the COM
position. (NOTE: Post understands that question of who should fill
the vacant COM position remains deadlocked in Vienna. END NOTE)


2. (SBU) COMMENT: We share Kloetzer's concern that this looks like
part of a GOAM campaign to downgrade and weaken the OSCE Office
here. Were the GOAM to succeed in its request to nationalize
Kloetzer's position, this may leave the Office's international staff
badly depleted during the key period between now and the February
presidential election. END COMMENT

PERINA