OSCE hopes for final closure of Minsk Group on Karabakh conflict no later than December
YEREVAN, October 14. /ARКА/. The OSCE hopes that the Minsk Group on the Karabakh conflict will be definitively disbanded by December, stated OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen during a joint press conference with her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, in Yerevan.
"We appreciate the joint request (from Armenia and Azerbaijan - ed.) to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, and we anticipate that this entire process will be finalized no later than December of this year," Valtonen remarked.
She commended the progress towards peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, acknowledging the significant measures taken in this regard on August 8, 2025 (as per the declaration signed in Washington in the presence of the US President - ed.).
Valtonen emphasized the importance of solidifying this peace. "We are prepared to provide you with our full support in your endeavors. During my visit, it is essential to understand the Armenian government's strategy for enhancing civil society within the nation. We hold our bilateral relations with Armenia in high regard," Valtonen added.
On the Closure of the OSCE Minsk Group
On September 1, 2025, it was announced that the OSCE Ministerial Council would officially dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, which was established in 1992 to address the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, along with its associated structures. This decision was positively received by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu.
The OSCE is expected to finalize procedures related to the termination of the Minsk process by December 1, 2025; only administrative tasks, such as the transfer of property and equipment, will persist.
The OSCE Minsk Group functioned under the co-chairmanship of Russia, the United States, and France, with permanent members including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Finland, and Sweden. The group's aims were to facilitate negotiations between Baku and Yerevan, assist in reaching a peace agreement, and subsequently deploy OSCE peacekeeping forces in the area. The last joint statement from the co-chairs was released on December 7, 2021. Since 2022, the group has effectively been inactive.-0-
