Russian official calls for abolition of OSCE Minsk Group

Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the OSCE Minsk Group and its associated structures should be abolished, describing the move as "long overdue."

During a briefing, Zakharova emphasized that the Minsk Group had lost its relevance and was no longer effective in addressing the issues it was initially created to resolve, Caliber.Az reports.

She argued that the dissolution of the group would aid in the long-awaited normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Zakharova concluded her remarks by affirming that she had no further comments on the matter, underscoring her stance on the need for a new approach to resolving the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Earlier, Maria Zakharova said the American and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group stopped communicating with Russian representatives in February 2022, and the West initially blocked the format.

According to Zakharova, all structures of the Minsk Group are subject to dissolution, and the optimal way forward would be a corresponding proposal from Yerevan and Baku.

"Given this, as well as Armenia's recognition (by Pashinyan in Prague in October 2022) of Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan, and the fundamental change in the 'situation on the ground,' this format has lost its relevance,” she noted.

The OSCE Minsk Group has been tasked with mediating peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but its future remains uncertain in light of recent regional developments.

By Vafa Guliyeva