Yerevan /Mediamax/. Mediamax received information, according to which there are problems with extension of OSCE Office operation in Yerevan.

Mediamax contacted OSCE Office in Yerevan and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia for comments.

OSCE Office in Yerevan informed Mediamax that “Participating States have not yet reached consensus on extension of mandates of a number of OSCE field operations.”

“The Chairmanship continues to lead negotiations on this with the aim of early agreement,” OSCE Office added. They also mentioned that pending agreement on mandate extension by the participating States, the field operations remain open and will continue administrative, non-mandate-related work.

Armenian MFA abstained from commenting.

According to Mediamax’s information, Azerbaijan is directly related to this situation.

Let us remind that Armenia is the only country in Southern Caucasus, which has OSCE Office.

OSCE Office, which was established in Baku in the summer of 2000, stopped its operation on January 1, 2014.

Mandate of OSCE Mission, opened in Tbilisi in 1992, expired on December 31, 2008.

Mediamax notes that the decision to establish OSCE Office in Yerevan was made during the session of OSCE Permanent Council in July, 1999. The decision reads that the initial period of duration will be prolonged for periods of twelve months by mutual agreement between the OSCE and the Republic of Armenia.

Russian diplomat, ambassador Argo Avakov assumed the position of the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan in March 2016.