End of Minsk Process Marks New Era of Diplomacy in the South Caucasus

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported that on September 1, 2025, the OSCE Ministerial Council decided to terminate the Minsk Process and all related structures—including the current Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office and the High-Level Planning Group. All OSCE resolutions regarding the former Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict are declared invalid. This marks the international community's renewed confirmation of Azerbaijan's restoration of control over its formerly occupied territories and recognition of the peace agenda put forward by Baku.

Several authoritative experts shared their views on the new regional situation with Azerbaijani media. Geopolitics and security expert, Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Outsider, Irina Chukman, pointed out that the closure of the Minsk Process symbolizes the end of a phase of post-Soviet diplomacy—a period when frozen conflicts remained in a state of prolonged artificial legal and political uncertainty under the auspices of international institutions.

"The process was established in the early 1990s to seek a peaceful resolution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict but gradually turned into a tool for symbolic control and balancing great power interests. Its termination reflects new geopolitical realities: the conflict was ultimately resolved not through mediation and lengthy negotiations, but through Azerbaijan's actual restoration of its territorial integrity. This decision has profound legal significance, meaning all previous relevant OSCE documents, resolutions, and procedures become invalid. An international organization has for the first time recognized that the status quo maintained for decades is irreversible. For Azerbaijan, this consolidates the international consensus that the status and ownership of the previously occupied territories are no longer debatable. It also weakens the narratives of those who questioned the finality of the territorial changes.

Armenia is in a difficult position. On one hand, agreeing to dissolve the Minsk Process implies acknowledging the new reality and a willingness to build relations with Azerbaijan without relying on external mediation. On the other hand, this decision causes tension domestically, where some elites and the opposition see it as a final abandonment of the struggle for the special status of the former Armenian enclave.

For Yerevan, this is a step towards opening a new phase of peacebuilding, but it also carries significant domestic political risks. For Azerbaijan, this is an undeniable diplomatic victory. The country not only demonstrated the ability to restore territorial control but also consolidated this achievement within international legal and institutional frameworks. Unlike many other unresolved post-Soviet territorial conflicts, Azerbaijan has successfully and definitively removed this long-standing issue from the international agenda.

At the regional level, this decision strengthens the trend of South Caucasus countries reaching agreements directly, without constant external interference. If Armenia and Azerbaijan continue on the path of bilateral resolution, it will create conditions for a more stable regional security architecture. Turkey further confirms the correctness of its strategy of supporting Azerbaijan and promoting the region's integration into broader economic and infrastructure projects."