The Armenian Cause (Hay Tad) offices in Washington, Brussels, Moscow, and France have issued a unified statement harshly condemning the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group amid continued threats and use of force against Armenia. They called for the creation of a new international mechanism to defend the fundamental rights of Artsakh Armenians.
The statement warned that this move effectively legitimizes conflict resolutions achieved through violence and ethnic cleansing, rather than diplomacy and international law.
Hay Tad emphasized that true peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be based solely on fulfilling Azerbaijani demands. Instead, the following conditions must be met:
- Immediate release of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan
- Protection of Armenian cultural heritage
- Full respect for Armenia’s sovereignty and withdrawal of occupying forces from its territory
- Right of return for forcibly displaced Armenians from Artsakh, in line with the ICJ’s November 17, 2023 ruling
The Armenian Cause global network will continue advocating for internationalization of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and supports efforts to establish a new diplomatic format, such as the proposed “Swiss Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh Peace.”
Key office statements included:
Washington Office
Described the Minsk Group’s disbanding not as a peace effort but a result of Azerbaijani pressure, allowing ethnic cleansing, hostage-taking, and territorial occupation to go unchecked, undermining the very principles the Minsk Process represented.
European Office
Urged the OSCE and its member states to uphold the values of diplomacy and justice, reminding them of commitments from the European Parliament, Belgium, and Switzerland to support Artsakh Armenians' right of return, POW releases, and Azerbaijani troop withdrawal.
French Office
As a former Minsk Group co-chair, France was urged to continue championing international legal norms. The office called for active involvement in defending displaced Armenians’ rights, securing the release of captives, and protecting cultural heritage—arguing that truth and justice, not silence, are prerequisites for peace.
Moscow Office
Stressed that without genuine international mediation and security mechanisms, sustainable resolution is impossible. The group warned that dismantling the Minsk format emboldens Azerbaijan’s genocidal policies and paves the way for erasing Armenians from Artsakh. It called for reestablishing a mediation format with stronger guarantees for the return of displaced persons, release of captives, preservation of heritage, and recognition of self-determination.
The OSCE Minsk Group was established in 1992 under the co-chairmanship of Russia, France, and the U.S. In April 2022, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov stated that Paris and Washington had withdrawn from the format, refusing to cooperate with Moscow.
The group's formal dissolution was signed by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8, 2025, in Washington.
