Finland, as the current chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), will lead consultations with member states following a joint request by Azerbaijan and Armenia to shut down the Minsk Process and its related structures.
OSCE headquarters confirmed that on August 11 the organization received a joint letter from both countries urging the Ministerial Council to formally dissolve the Minsk Group and associated bodies. The OSCE Secretariat said it is ready to implement any decisions resulting from these discussions.
“We welcome the August 8 agreements signed in Washington, congratulate Armenia and Azerbaijan on this achievement, and highly value the role of the U.S. administration in facilitating the process,” the organization said in a statement, reiterating its commitment to efforts aimed at lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 to mediate the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Following Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 war, Baku repeatedly stated that the conflict was resolved and that the Minsk Group was no longer necessary. Azerbaijan subsequently proposed that Armenia join it in formally requesting the OSCE to dissolve the body.
On August 8 in Washington, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia — in the presence of the leaders of both countries and the United States — signed the joint request to abolish the group. The Minsk Group’s closure was one of two key conditions set by Baku for signing a peace treaty with Yerevan.
In addition to its three co-chairs — the United States, Russia, and France — the group’s membership includes Belarus, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, as well as Azerbaijan and Armenia.
