The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) announced on December 1 in a statement that the Minsk Group, which was an international mediator in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, has been dissolved.
Medianews.az recalls that on August 8, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed a draft agreement on peace and the establishment of interstate relations between the two countries, and also signed a joint appeal to the OSCE Chairperson to close the Minsk process and its related structures. Taking this appeal into account, the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Council decided on September 1 to close the Minsk process and its related structures.
The OSCE, uniting 57 countries, was established in 1975 under the name Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Azerbaijan and Armenia were admitted to the organization on January 30, 1992.
On March 24, 1992, the CSCE Foreign Ministers' Council decided to convene a peace conference on Nagorno-Karabakh. The conference was planned to be held in Minsk.
On May 1, 1992, the Minsk Group was created to realize the conference, and the Italian Mario Raffaelli was given a mandate to prepare for the conference. He served as the chairman of the Minsk Group until 1994.
In December 1994, the co-chairmanship institution was established, assigned to Russia and Sweden. Later, Sweden was replaced by Finland.
On December 30, 1996, a French representative was appointed co-chair instead of the Finnish representative, and on February 14, 1997, the United States joined the Minsk Group as another co-chair country.
In the Minsk Group, co-chairs, along with Azerbaijan and Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey also have a place.
Between 1988-1994, Armenia occupied the southwest of Azerbaijan and 1 village of the Sadarak district and 7 villages of the Gazakh district, establishing a separatist regime in Karabakh.
From September 27 to November 10, 2020, as a result of the war waged by Azerbaijan and post-war negotiations and local military operations, the Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin districts were fully, and the Shusha, Khojavend, Khojaly, Aghdara districts partially liberated.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the occupying regime controlling the cities of Stepanakert, Khojaly, Aghdara, Khojavend, and parts of the Shusha, Khojaly, Khojavend, and Aghdara districts, and the next day the regime committed to disarm, mass migration of Armenians from Karabakh began on September 24, and the regime surrendered on September 28.
On May 24, 2024, Armenia withdrew from the villages of Aşağı Əskipara, Bağanıs Ayrım, Xeyrimli, Qızılhacılı in Gazakh district.
The villages of Kerki in Sadarak district, and Barkhudarly, Sofulu, Yuxarı Əskipara in Gazakh district remain enclaved, surrounded by Armenian territory.
Toğrul Ali,
Medianews.az
