The Minsk Group's Work Was in Armenia's Interests, and Azerbaijan Proved It: Ashotyan

The closure of the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures was in Azerbaijan's interest because the foundation of that activity was Armenian interests. This was stated by the Vice President of the Republican Party of Armenia, Armen Ashotyan, during a conversation with reporters at the Yerablur military pantheon.

He reminded that in yesterday's statement from Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was emphasized that with the dissolution of the group, all documents accepted within the group's framework become null and void.

“This is direct evidence that those documents and the group's activities included Armenian interests, and these interests were expressed in all negotiations and by negotiators, except for the person you mentioned – Nikol Pashinyan,” Ashotyan said.

According to him, this is precisely why Azerbaijan's foreign ministry, by announcing the closure of the Minsk Group, specifically emphasized that what was written in the documents adopted within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group has no legal force.

“They were interested in having many provisions that are enshrined by international law and stem from Armenian interests be annulled,” Ashotyan concluded.

It should be noted that the OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992, with its co-chairs being Russia, France, and the United States. In April 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Paris and Washington had refused to cooperate with Moscow within the group's framework, stating that they would not communicate in that format.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a preliminary agreement on August 8 in Washington regarding the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which includes a joint application for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures.

Additionally, the OSCE will dissolve the Minsk Group by December 1, 2025.