OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen told the press that "the end of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a highly successful example that fosters optimism throughout the entire OSCE region," on Thursday (4 December).
Elina Valtonen reminded that she’s had the opportunity to visit both countries and familiarize myself with the peace process. "We always maintain productive relations with both countries," she stated.
Chairperson-in-Office Valtonen reiterated OSCE’s readiness to provide any support regarding the issues currently being discussed between the parties.
Closure of OSCE Minsk Group
Valtonen also noted that the decision to close the OSCE Minsk Group and its associated structures on 1 September, 2025 was a vital step supporting the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Moreover, she noted that it removed a major obstacle in approving the OSCE budget.
The statement was made at the 32nd Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on Thursday (4 December) in Vienna, Austria.
The Minsk Group was created in 1992 to mediate the Karabakh conflict, and from 1994 operated under a co-chairmanship of Russia, the United States and France.
It served for decades as the main platform for Armenia–Azerbaijan negotiations but lost relevance after Azerbaijan’s 2020 victory and the restoration of its territorial integrity in September 2023, according to Azerbaijani media.
Baku repeatedly called for its formal closure, and on 8 August, 2025, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint appeal in Washington calling for the termination of the Minsk Group.
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The 32nd Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial meeting in Vienna exposed a sharp divergence between governance priorities in Brussels and Tbilisi.
Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili is participating in the 32nd OSCE Ministerial Council holding from 3rd to 5th December in Vienna.
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.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by Elina Valtonen, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a new underground ballistic missile base on Wednesday (4 February), just over a day before the start of mediated nuclear negotiations with the United States, slated for Friday in Oman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday (3 February) of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy ceasefire to stockpile weapons and launch large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of peace talks.
The United States and Iran are set to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday after Tehran requested a change of venue and a strictly bilateral, nuclear-focused format, a move that is fuelling questions about Iran’s negotiating strategy.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a new underground ballistic missile base on Wednesday (4 February), just over a day before the start of mediated nuclear negotiations with the United States, slated for Friday in Oman.
The joint awarding of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Abu Dhabi on 4 February underscores a shared commitment to peace and reconciliation, political analyst Fuad Karimli told AnewZ.
Several Armenian defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday (5 February) as the Baku Military Court began reading out verdicts in criminal cases under Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday (4 February), health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire.
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