Yerevan: Expanding the mission of the Personal Representative of the  OSCE Chairperson-in- Office by several people will not change the  situation 

ArmInfo.. "Azerbaijan pretends  that no agreement was reached on implementation of mechanisms for  investigation of borderline incidents and expansion of the OSCE  Personal Representative's mandate", Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward  Nalbandian stated at the today's press conference on the results of  the OSCE Ministerial Council. 

"Meanwhile the Co-Chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group both  during the meetings and in their final statement have emphasized the  necessity of implementing these mechanisms", the Minister noted  stressing that the enlargement of the mission by several people will  not change the situation. "There are such conflict zones were 200-300  observers are needed. However, it is necessary to make at least one  small, symbolic step towards creating confidence measures registering  that we are advancing by increasing the number of the mission's  representatives and their efficiency", Nalbandian stated. 

He informed that at first Azerbaijan was against expanding the  mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE  Chairperson-in-Office. "However, later it agreed to increase the  number by 7 people. At the same time Azerbaijan does not agree to  their dislocation on the Line of Contact, insisting that they should  stay in Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan. Azerbaijan also demands that the  observers should get permission from Baku for visiting the Line of  Contact", the Minister informed. 

As for the introduction of mechanisms for investigation of borderline  incidents Baku stands against this, Nalbandian informed. "Baku  continues to make illogical proposals, saying that such mechanisms  can be implemented only after settlement of the conflict. But in  theory, after the settlement there should not be any borderline  clashes and there will be no need to implement such mechanisms", the  diplomat stated. 

To note, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavorv has also made a  statement that the sides have agreed toi expand the mission of the  Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office by 7 people  but have not managed yet to agree on their dislocation. 

To note, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair  countries - Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov,  Secretary of State of the United States John Kerry, and Foreign  Minister of France Jean-Marc Ayrault - issued a joint statement on  Dec 8. The statement reads, "We call on Baku and Yerevan to honor the  agreements reflected in the Joint Statements of the 16 May Summit in  Vienna and the 20 June Summit in St. Petersburg.  We welcome the  sides' progress in implementing the exchange of data on missing  persons under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red  Cross.  We urge the parties to remove all remaining obstacles to  expanding the mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE  Chairperson-in-Office and to make progress on a proposal to establish  an OSCE investigative mechanism.  The proposals should be implemented  together with the immediate resumption of negotiations on a  settlement.  We would like to reiterate our call to the leaders of  Armenia and Azerbaijan to demonstrate flexibility and to return to  the negotiation table with the firm aim of moving toward a  sustainable peace on the basis of the current working proposals.   Unless progress can be made on negotiations, the prospects for  renewed violence will only increase, and the parties will bear full  responsibility."