The dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group will not lead to the closure of the Artsakh issue, as it existed long before the group’s formation. This was stated by Karen Mirzoyan, former Foreign Minister of Artsakh, commenting on Azerbaijan’s claims that a decision to disband the Minsk Group would be made on Monday.
“To dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, a specific procedure is required—a decision by the OSCE Ministerial Council, as the group itself was established based on such a decision,” Mirzoyan noted, expressing doubt that such a decision could be made on September 1.
According to Mirzoyan, the potential dissolution of the Minsk Group is, in itself, an “unpleasant and harmful step,” but it does not mean the Artsakh issue will be resolved.
“Let us not forget that the Artsakh issue existed long before the Minsk Group was formed, and active diplomatic efforts were underway around it. Significant efforts were made, numerous initiatives were launched, and many of the developments from that period were later utilized by the Minsk Group,” he emphasized.
The former minister added that the Artsakh issue will remain relevant as long as there are people who believe in and are ready to fight for the independence of Armenian Artsakh.
According to him, this is well understood in Baku. “Aliyev realizes this. He simply needs constant demonstrative actions to feed his society. He must show that, despite the fact that the majority of the population lives worse than in Georgia or even Armenia, the authorities are achieving new ‘successes.’ In this context, the dissolution of the Minsk Group is an excellent gift for his domestic audience,” Mirzoyan concluded.