ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Tuesday


Nalbandian: Azerbaijani efforts to close OSCE Yerevan office are aimed
against OSCE itself

Yerevan May 30

Mariana Mkrtchyan. Armenia's involvement in the activities of the OSCE
in all areas, the implementation of programs in the country with all
certainty can be considered exemplary. Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian expressed such a view at a joint press conference
with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier on May 30 in Yerevan.

"The visit of the General Secretary takes place in the period when the
Organization has to close its last office in the region as one of the
members of the structure, abusing its obligations put veto on OSCE
Yerevan Office's mandate prolonging. Baku tried to present it in the
light of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, however in reality it is
about Azerbaijani-OSCE relations. These actions are aimed against
OSCE. I consider that OSCE, Secretariat, and the member-states of
Organization made their conclusions on these destructive actions which
contradict the tasks and the vector of the Organization", Armenian
Foreign Minister said.

At the same time he noted that Armenia expects that many programs,
conducted by the OSCE Yerevan Office will continue the implementation
in other formats.

Nalbandian noted that he had discussed with Zannier a wide range of
issues including topical issues of OSCE agenda, cooperation in all
levels, Austrian chairmanship's priority defining, touched upon the
parliamentary elections held in Armenia. According to him, valuable is
assessment of the international structures saying that the elections
were organized well, human rights were protected and the results
showed the will of the Armenian nation.

I presented to Mr. Zannier the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair countries aimed at advancing the peaceful settlement
process of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. We highlighted the importance
of implementation of the agreements reached during the last year's
summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg, the realization of which, as you
know, Azerbaijan continues to obstruct.

To note, OSCE Yerevan office will completely cancel its activities in
Yerevan on August 31st, 2017. That was the last fully active office of
the organization in the region.