Azerbaijan seeks to downgrade OSCE representation statusMarch 29, 2013 - 14:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan wants the status of OSCE Office in Baku to be downgraded to the status of project coordinator, a spokesman for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev told APA. He said Azerbaijan has questions regarding the activity of OSCE Office in Baku. "Our position is concrete and clear. We have questions regarding the general activity of OSCE Office in Baku and as a member of the organization have the right to appeal for changing of the status of OSCE Office in Baku. A letter has been sent to the organization. But this doesn’t mean that Azerbaijan wants to stop or freeze relations with OSCE. This is not extraordinary, everything is done within the framework of OSCE principles and norms," he said. According to a political analyst Vafa Guluzade, the move was meant to prevent OSCE criticism at the oncoming elections. Earlier, OSCE repeatedly slammed Azeri elections as not fair and not free. As the head of Law and Development NGO Hafiz Hasanov noted, OSCE observers won't be invited to monitor the October polls in Azerbaijan, Azeri media reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. |