He is remembered, among other things, for ordering his plane to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean in 1999, canceling his US visit in protest of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
"He was a talented advocate [of Serbia],"de Charette said adding that he has worked with Primakov on "the very difficult subjects."
The former French minister added that Primakov was a personal friend of his and "an exceptional person."
"He was a person with a lot of inspiration, brio, subtlety and a lot of energy. During very difficult periods in the Russian history he preserved pride, independence, and respect towards the Russian nation," de Charette said.
Herve de Charette served as the French minister of foreign affairs from May 1995 till June 1997 under the Presidency of Jacques Chirac.
