Yerevan /Mediamax/. OSCE Permanent Council discussed on January 27 the extension of OSCE Office mandate in Yerevan.

Armenian MFA remarked that 56 OSCE participating states supported the idea of extending OSCE Office operation in Yerevan and only Azerbaijan spoke against.

Permanent Representative of Austria to the OSCE Clemens Koja noted that a one of the participating states expressed concerns during the discussion that OSCE Yerevan Office's project of humanitarian demining does not comply with the mandate of the mission.

Based on his visit to Yerevan and observation of situation within the country, Permanent Representative of Austria to the OSCE made a conclusion in this regard, that the mentioned program complied with mandate of the Office. He remarked that the previous, as well as current OSCE Chairmanships backed this vision.

Permanent Representative of Austria to the OSCE outlined that the decision to extend OSCE Office operation in Yerevan is fraught with negative consequences on the operation of the organization as a whole.

As a solution to this situation, Permanent Representative of Austria to the OSCE urged Yerevan Office to refrain from implementing the project of humanitarian demining. He also noted that all other projects of Yerevan Office should unobstructed be continued.

Clemens Koja informed that some of OSCE participating states expressed interest in implementing such a project with Armenia in bilateral format.

Delegations of a number of OSCE states, including Russia, the United States, the European Union, Canada and Switzerland, also backed the extension of OSCE Office operation in Yerevan.

You can read Mediamax's exclusive interview with Austrian Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz on the current situation around OSCE Office in Yerevan here.