Head of OSCE Baku office says no changes in its activity
By Sara Rajabova
Head of the OSCE Office in Baku Koray Targay has said there are no changes in its activity.
He made the comments on the change of the Baku office's status while speaking to journalists on July 29.
Recently, the OSCE Permanent Council reached a consensus on the mandate of the OSCE field presence in Baku. According to the Permanent Council's decision, the OSCE Baku office was granted the status of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator.
Targay said the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry put forward a proposal to the Council, which subsequently made a decision meeting Azerbaijan's request. A memorandum of understanding will be signed according to this decision, while the direction of further activity will be determined later.
According to Targay, only the title has changed. "So far, our activity has not been changed," he said.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has also welcomed the consensus reached by the OSCE participating states on the mandate of the OSCE field presence in Azerbaijan, the OSCE website said on July 26.
"The adoption of the mandate for the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku is an important step towards continuing mutually beneficial co-operation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan aimed at implementing OSCE principles and commitments," Kozhara said.
He also said that the decision provides a positive co-operative response to the willingness of the Azerbaijani government to make further progress in this regard.
The mandate of the Project Co-ordinator in Baku will go into effect on January 1, 2014. The Project Co-ordinator will build on the valuable work done by the OSCE Office in Baku. The head of the Baku office will also be the Projects Co-ordinator.
The mandates of all OSCE field operations are agreed with the host country and approved based on consensus by all 57 OSCE participating states.
The annual mandate of the OSCE Office in Baku has been valid in the country since 2000.
In spring this year Azerbaijan applied to the organization to change the status of its office in Baku.