Russia’s permanent representative on when OSCE Minsk Group will be dissolved

Russia supports the joint decision by Azerbaijan and Armenia to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, which has been involved in mediating the Artsakh conflict, RBC reports, citing Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Alexander Lukashevich. According to the official, the group is expected to be fully dissolved by December 2025.

Lukashevich stated that the activities of three bodies will be terminated: the Minsk Group itself, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Personal Representative, and the High-Level Planning Group.

“Given the positions of the parties, we see no purpose in maintaining these bodies,” the diplomat stated.

Earlier, on Aug. 26, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that the decision to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group would be finalized on Sept․ 1. He added that the mechanism had long ceased to play a role in the peace process.

The dissolution of the Minsk Group is one of two conditions set by Baku for signing a peace agreement with Armenia. The other condition requires Armenia, through constitutional amendments, to renounce “any claims to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The request to dissolve the Minsk Group was signed by Bayramov and Mirzoyan on Aug․ 8 in Washington and submitted to the organization on Aug․ 11.