Russia calls for formal dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group, accuses France, EU of fueling regional instability

The Russian Foreign Ministry has reiterated its position that all remaining structures of the OSCE Minsk Conference on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement should be formally dissolved, citing geopolitical developments and the shift in the regional security architecture.

Speaking at a press briefing on April 17, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova responded to remarks by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who recently echoed Baku’s call for the dissolution of the Minsk Group, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Zakharova emphasized that the group’s mandate has become obsolete following Armenia’s recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan during the October 2022 Prague summit and the subsequent changes on the ground in autumn 2023.

“We have repeatedly said that with the termination of communication between the American and French co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the Russian co-chair, and the recognition by Armenia of Karabakh as an integral part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the OSCE-approved mandate of the Minsk Conference co-chairs has lost its relevance,” she stated.

Zakharova argued that not only the Minsk Group, but all affiliated structures—including the high-level planning group and the post of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement—should be dissolved. She proposed that this step should be jointly initiated by Baku and Yerevan.

Notwithstanding its call for the dissolution of the Minsk framework, Russia affirms its continued commitment to actively facilitating the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“For our part, we remain committed to assisting our partners in overcoming the remaining challenges hindering the conclusion of a comprehensive peace treaty,” Zakharova said. She pointed to Russia’s role in promoting progress on critical issues such as the unblocking of transport and economic corridors, border delimitation, and humanitarian cooperation, based on trilateral agreements reached between 2020 and 2022.

Zakharova also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to provide a platform for direct negotiations between the two South Caucasus nations: “Of course, we always confirm our readiness to provide a Russian platform for negotiations… including the conclusion of a peace treaty.”

In a continuation of her remarks, Zakharova turned sharply critical of Western involvement in the region, accusing France and the European Union of exploiting the ongoing tensions for their own geopolitical advantage.

“The recent exchange of fire in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area is yet another indication that external players are not moving the South Caucasus any closer to peace,” she said, referencing a flare-up that she claimed highlights the harmful role of “extra-regional actors.”

Singling out France, Zakharova alleged that Paris has played a central role in undermining peace efforts in the region. “European actors, especially the French, are clearly interested in maintaining tension in the region to serve their own strategic objectives. These actions are not coordinated with Armenia itself, but rather directed from Brussels,” she asserted.

She went further, suggesting that the European Union’s growing presence in Armenia functions as a thinly veiled extension of NATO influence. According to Zakharova, EU monitors deployed in Armenia should be regarded as “spy monitors” who “operate both internally and externally against all countries neighboring Armenia.”

“They may not be officially designated as a NATO mission or headquarters, but the majority of them represent NATO states,” she claimed.

Zakharova concluded by accusing France of bearing “a significant share of responsibility for sabotaging the work and causing the collapse of the OSCE Minsk Group.”

By Vafa Guliyeva