Armenian PM criticises OSCE Minsk Group, calls its role counterproductive

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sharply criticised the OSCE Minsk Group, saying its activities have never been useful and have instead exacerbated regional tensions.

Speaking in parliament, Pashinyan said, “I see nothing useful in the work of the Minsk Group; there was nothing of value in it. Its activities were aimed at deepening the conflict, turning it into a tool to control not only Armenia but the entire region,” Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The Prime Minister also noted that the Armenian government agreed to the dissolution of the Minsk Group prior to a formal peace treaty with Azerbaijan. According to Pashinyan, the documents signed on August 8 in Washington affirm Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of its borders.

On September 1, the current OSCE Chair, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu issued a joint statement announcing that the organisation will disband the Minsk Group by December 1 of this year. The decision was made based on a joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to mediate negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Karabakh conflict. Co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States, the Minsk Group has long sought to facilitate dialogue and propose frameworks for a peaceful settlement. However, its effectiveness has often been questioned, with critics arguing that the group has failed to achieve lasting agreements and that its involvement has sometimes prolonged the stalemate.

By Vugar Khalilov