Mirzoyan on Baku`s claims of "OSCE MG is being expired": No OSCE member state can single-handedly terminate mechanism or institution established on basis of consensus of all members of organization
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said referring to Baku's statement that the OSCE Minsk Group is expired. On April 13 at a joint press conference with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani.
"No OSCE member country can put an end to a mechanism, an institution, a decision, around the establishment of which all member countries had concurred, and which was basically founded by all member countries. The Minsk Group, Minsk format exists, and it is another matter that for many reasons, objective and subjective, the activities of the co-chairmanship is now frozen. I am sure that the Minsk process still has tasks to fulfill and a role in addressing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh," he said, adding that the OSCE has tasks to do as well, namely through its other institutions, such as the Personal Representative of the CiO, and not only the Minsk Group. In this regard, the Armenian minister stated that Armenia cannot be guided by Azerbaijani statements in this matter, especially considering that they often contradict each other. "One can only give an example of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, when Azerbaijan claimed and, I think, still claims that the corridor is not closed, not blocked, and then a few days later it claimed that the corridor was blocked by civil activists who have environmental concerns, and then it says that these activists should check all cargo and persons passing along the corridor, etc. If we were to be guided by the Azerbaijani claims we would be in a total confusion," Mirzoyan stressed. At the same time, he noted that no OSCE member state can put an end to a mechanism, an institution, a decision, around the establishment of which all member countries had concurred, and which was basically founded by all member countries.
"The Minsk process, the Minsk format exists, but for many reasons, objective and subjective, the activities of the co-chairs are currently frozen. I am sure that the Minsk process still has tasks to fulfill and a role in addressing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. And in general, the OSCE has tasks to do as well, because we are talking not only about the Minsk process, but also about other institutions, for example, the personal representative of the current president and the implementation of his mandate and his capabilities I am sure that the task of the OSCE is not over yet. We also talked about the fact-finding mission that was sent to the region in December, so as they say, those rumors are a little exaggerated," Mirzoyan concluded.