ANCA condemns dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group

ArmInfo. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sharply condemned the dissolution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in  Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, warning that the decision represents a setback in multilateral diplomatic engagement in ensuring a just,  durable and dignified peace in the South Caucasus region.

"The dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group is not a step toward peace,  but an Azerbaijan-imposed condition to advance a lopsided deal  secured through coercion and the use of force. This dangerous  precedent rewards Baku's genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh,  illegal imprisonment and torture of Armenian prisoners, and ongoing  occupation of sovereign Armenian lands - undermining the very  principles of international law and diplomacy the Minsk process once  embodied," stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

    "U.S. leadership is more vital than ever to enforce Section 907 of  the FREEDOM Support Act, apply Global Magnitsky sanctions, and rally  international partners to build a lasting and durable South Caucasus  peace based on accountability and justice - ensuring the protected  return of Artsakh's indigenous Armenian population, the Azerbaijan's  immediate release of Armenian prisoners, the protection of Armenian  cultural heritage, and the security and sovereignty of Armenia,"  Hamparian concluded.  

The ANCA also stresses that "in the absence of the OSCE Minsk Group,  "genuine multilateralism and international mediation-remains  indispensable." In a statement issued earlier today, they urged the  OSCE and broader international community "to remain engaged, to  uphold their human rights and humanitarian mandates, and to work  actively for the protection of the rights of displaced Armenians, the  release of hostages, and the preservation of cultural heritage. Only  sustained, impartial, and principled engagement can secure the  dignity and rights of the people of Artsakh and make possible a real,  lasting peace in the South Caucasus."

    Established in 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group - co-chaired by the United  States, France, and Russia - was the multilateral entity formally  mandated to mediate the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The decision to  dissolve the platform follows the August 8 signing of a U.S.-brokered  Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, which was sharply criticized by the  ANCA a broad range of human rights and civil society leaders as a  dangerous deal that sidelines justice, undermines Armenia's  sovereignty, and rewards Azerbaijan's unpunished aggression.  That  package failed to address the central issues at the heart of a just  peace: the safe and dignified right of return for over 150,000  Armenians ethnically cleansed from Artsakh, the immediate and  unconditional release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian  hostages, the protection of Armenian Christian heritage, and  enforceable guarantees for Armenia's security and sovereignty.

    The signing also took place without any acknowledgment of  Azerbaijan's genocidal campaign against Artsakh Armenians, its  ongoing illegal imprisonment of Artsakh leaders, or its continuing  military occupation of sovereign Armenian territory. Given the  absence of any meaningful security guarantees for Armenia in the  agreement, the ANCA maintains that renewed multilateral engagement is  essential to ensure Azerbaijan is held accountable to this peace  process - and to avert the risk of Baku imposing increasingly unfair  and unreasonable demands on Armenia, as it has throughout the   negotiation process."