OSCE Applauds Azerbaijan-Armenia Initiative Leading To Minsk Process Closure

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has welcomed the Council of Ministers’ decision to close the Minsk Process and its related structures following a joint appeal from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Foreign Minister and the current OSCE Chairperson, along with OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, praised the Council’s decision, highlighting the collaborative efforts of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, The Caspian Post reports via local media.

Valtonen expressed her congratulations to Armenia and Azerbaijan on the historic agreements aimed at peace and the normalization of relations, as well as on their decision to promptly begin implementing them. She noted that she had immediately responded to their joint appeal and sincerely thanked both sides for their excellent cooperation throughout the process. Valtonen also acknowledged the spirit of collaboration among participating states that had made reaching this consensus possible.

The Council’s decision follows the Joint Declaration signed on August 8 by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Washington, in the presence of US President Donald Trump.

Following the decision, the OSCE will proceed with closing the Minsk Process and related structures. Administrative tasks, including the transfer of assets and equipment, will continue until the process is fully completed no later than December 1, 2025.