No Useful Outcome in OSCE Minsk Group Activities, Says Pashinyan

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has stated that he perceives no useful outcomes from the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group. Pashinyan expressed this belief during a question-and-answer session with the National Assembly.

“Looking back, I must say that I do not see any useful results from the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group. There has never been anything useful in the work of this group. Its activity has served to deepen the conflict and become a lever to maintain not only Armenia in a puppet situation but the entire region,” he noted.

He added, “We were not informed about this. If it had been resolved, why weren’t we told, because the issue of Armenia was on the agenda? How to resolve the issue of Armenia? What would happen as a result of the resolution of the issue of Armenia? It would have resulted in the fragmentation of Armenia's territorial integrity and the loss of sovereignty and independence.”

Pashinyan also emphasized that all negotiations held within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group were about multiplying the dependencies of the Armenian side.

“Because going that way meant de facto giving up the independence of the Republic of Armenia. We did not take that path together. Today the Republic of Armenia is independent—more than ever, it is a stronger state than ever, and it is more sovereign than ever, thanks in part to the sacrifices of our martyrs,” Pashinyan highlighted.

The OSCE Minsk Process began in 1992 with the aim of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The main format was the Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, the USA, and France. Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint application to the OSCE on August 8 in Washington regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group.