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Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry comments on changing of status of OSCE Office in Baku

27 July 2013 10:02 (UTC +04:00)

The diplomat commented on the mandate on the OSCE Project Co-ordinaton given by the Permanent Council of the organization. He said that Azerbaijan is an interesting country for the OSCE: “The number of our projects with the OSCE is increasing. Azerbaijan is dynamically developing and the largest country in the region. Azerbaijan is a locomotive of the region. Therefore, like a number of international organizations, OSCE has focused attention on Azerbaijan. This is not demotion of status of the OSCE Office in Baku. The status has been changed.”

Touching on the possible change in the OSCE Minsk Group following this decision, Abdullayev said OSCE Minsk Group had been established in a different format for other purposes: “Minsk Group is a mediation mission established by the members of the OSCE consisting of 15 member countries, including three co-chairing countries. This format has been established only for the resolution of the conflict."

OSCE Baku office has got a mandate on the OSCE Project Co-ordinaton. The consensus was reached at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization. The mandate will enter into force on 1 January 2014.

The decision will not lead to great changes. Under the mandate, the office will continue to implement projects in Azerbaijan. The head office will be the Project Coordinator.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara said that the adoption of the mandate for the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku is an important step towards continuation of mutually beneficial co-operation between the OSCE and the Republic of Azerbaijan aimed at implementing OSCE principles and commitments.

Azerbaijani side appealed to the OSCE with a request to review the status of the OSCE Office in Baku in spring.