MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) insists that a long-range monitoring mission should be deployed ahead of the Russian presidential elections.

"We have a mandate for long range monitoring. We would like to apply for Russian visas shortly after we receive an invitation from the Russian Central Elections Commission (CEC) so that we can come to Russia as soon as possible," Curtis Budden, the ODIHR acting spokesperson, told Interfax on Wednesday.

OSCE/ODIHR observers will not be able to organize full scale monitoring if they "arrive three days before the elections," he said. "We would like to come at once," Budden said.

If Moscow grants the request, OSCE/ODIHR observers are going to immediately apply for Russia visas and leave for Russia, he said.

A letter, which was sent to the Russian CEC on Tuesday, concerns changing the terms of the monitoring mission, rather than the number of observers, the spokesperson said. "We have asked only to revise the time frame," Budden said.

The CEC press service said on Tuesday that the CEC received the letter signed by OSCE/ODIHR Director, Ambassador Christian Strohal to head of the Russian Central Elections Commission (CEC) Vladimir Churov.