Russia says OSCE Minsk Group dissolution is justified

Russia considers the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict justified, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum on Thursday.

She noted that Russia, along with other OSCE members, supported the decision by consensus.

“This step is reasonable and warranted given the fundamental changes in the region,” Zakharova stated.

According to her, the initiative came from Armenia and Azerbaijan, whose foreign ministers formally asked the OSCE on August 11 to end the Minsk process, saying they no longer needed its mechanisms.

Zakharova stressed that throughout the Minsk Group’s existence, Russia as co-chair had made “maximum efforts” to promote reconciliation between the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Minsk process was launched in 1992 to mediate the Karabakh conflict, with Russia, the United States and France serving as co-chairs.