ANCA condemns dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group and urges US administration to hold Baku accountable

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has condemned the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, noting that it represents a setback to 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,” ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian said.

“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,” concluded Hamparian.

In a statement issued earlier, the ANCA stressed that in the absence of the OSCE Minsk Group, “genuine multilateralism and international mediation—remains indispensable,” and 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,” the statement reads.