live Iran says officials to visit Qatar but no U.S. talks planned
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U....
The OSCE has formally wound up the Minsk Process, shutting down its mediation structures after a joint appeal from Armenia and Azerbaijan and a consensus decision by all 57 participating states.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has finalised the closure of the Minsk Process and all its related structures, drawing a line under its long-running mediation format between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The mandate expired at 23:59 on 30 November 2025, in line with Ministerial Council decision MC.DEC/1/25 adopted on 1 September 2025.
According to the organisation, the completion of all required administrative steps marks the formal conclusion of the closure process. The decision implements the 1 September consensus by all 57 OSCE participating states, which backed shutting down the format following a joint political move by Yerevan and Baku.
The Ministerial Council decision came in the wake of a historic Joint Declaration signed in Washington D.C. on 8 August 2025 by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with U.S. President Donald J. Trump acting as witness. That document signalled the two neighbours’ intention to move beyond decades of OSCE-led mediation towards a new phase of bilateral and internationally supported normalisation.
In their Joint Appeal to the Finnish Chairpersonship of the OSCE earlier this year, Armenia and Azerbaijan requested that the Minsk Process and its affiliated structures be closed, arguing that the format no longer reflected the realities on the ground or the direction of their talks. The appeal paved the way for the September Ministerial Council decision and the subsequent technical work needed to dismantle the institutional framework.
With the procedural steps now completed, the Minsk Process – once a central platform for managing the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan – has been formally taken off the OSCE’s books. Diplomatic attention is expected to remain focused on direct Armenia-Azerbaijan channels and on broader regional arrangements shaped by recent agreements and high-level contacts.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
Fourteen people were killed on Sunday after a helicopter belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco crashed in Ras Tanura, according to Saudi state media.
Rescue teams raced on Sunday to find more survivors of the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela this week, with signs of life bringing occasional relief to a grim quest to whittle down a list of tens of thousands missing.
Eleven people were killed when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Nancy in eastern France on Sunday, local officials said.
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt strikes against each other, in a potential breakthrough after weeks of escalating tensions. The two sides are expected to meet in Doha on Tuesday to address their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
Europe's growing dependence on Azerbaijan for energy and transport is reshaping relations with Baku, even as political tensions with parts of the European Union remain unresolved.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U.S. official said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a phone call on Monday to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and wider global issues, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
With its EU accession talks frozen and its strategic partnership with Washington suspended, Tbilisi has formalised a new alliance with Astana centred on trade, transport and a shared vision for Eurasia's next major trade corridor.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday (29 June) that Pakistani strikes on homes in Kunar, Paktia and Paktika killed 36 civilians and injured 163, while Islamabad said it targeted militant hideouts along the border.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment