OSCE leadership welcomes closure of Minsk Group

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Finland Elina Valtonen, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu welcomed the adoption of a Ministerial Council decision closing the Minsk process and related structures following a Joint Appeal from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office once again extended her warmest congratulations to Armenia and Azerbaijan on their historic agreements towards peace and normalization of relations and their "resolute decision" to start their prompt implementation.

"I have responded without delay to their Joint Appeal and would like to express my sincere appreciation to the parties for their excellent co-operation in the process. I also would like to commend participating States for their collaborative spirit in achieving this consensus," Valtonen said.

The statement reads that this Ministerial Council decision follows the 8 August Joint Declaration signed in Washington D.C by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump. It was noted that the Ministerial Council decision was adopted by consensus of all 57 OSCE participating States.

"This is a historic development that underlines what diplomacy can achieve, even after decades of conflict and mistrust. It demonstrates that agreement remains possible when there is a shared determination between parties to find common ground," Sinirlioğlu said.

The OSCE Chairperson-in Office and OSCE Secretary General reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to supporting efforts that bring lasting peace and stability to the region.

Following the adoption of this decision, the OSCE will take steps to implement the closure of the Minsk Process and its related structures. Only administrative functions, such as the handover of assets and equipment, will continue until the process is completed no later than December 1, 2025, the statement reads.