OSCE Minsk Group

Last updated: May 29, 2026

The OSCE Minsk Group was the international mediation framework established in 1992 to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict. Co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States, it was the primary diplomatic channel for Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations for nearly three decades until Azerbaijan declared the group obsolete following the 2020 war. Central to the Minsk Group’s mandate was the question of self-determination: the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh sought recognition of their right to self-determination, and the framework’s ultimate failure to reconcile that claim with Azerbaijan’s insistence on territorial integrity is a key reason no settlement was reached before the outbreak of the 44-Day War.

Groong episodes covering the OSCE Minsk Group examine its history, the reasons its framework ultimately failed to produce a settlement before the outbreak of the 44-Day War, Azerbaijan’s rejection of the group following its 2020 military victory, and the subsequent shift of negotiations to bilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan talks mediated variously by Russia, the European Union, and the United States. The fate of the Minsk Group represents a broader question about the role of multilateral institutions in managing frozen conflicts in the post-Soviet space.

Jean-Daniel Ruch - Geopolitics, Justice and the Future World Order | Ep 419, Mar 1, 2025 [EP419]

Posted on Sunday, Mar 2, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Geopolitics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, NATO, Israel, Georgia, Human Rights, China, Syria, Economy, Iran, Middle East | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Jean-Daniel Ruch’s Career & Background
  • The Role of Diplomacy in Conflict Resolution
  • Western Democracy Promotion & Geopolitical Power Plays
  • The War in Ukraine & Failed Peace Efforts
  • US & European Geopolitical Strategies
  • The International Criminal Court & Selective Justice
  • The Artsakh Conflict & Armenian Displacement

Episode 419 | Recorded: February 27, 2025

Dziunik Aghajanian - Peace Plan 2019, Corridor Talks, Armenia Domestic Politics, World Politics | Ep 416, Feb 16, 2025 [EP416]

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Middle East, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Geopolitics, BRICS, NATO, European Union, Ukraine, Israel, China, Syria, Human Rights | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • World Politics
  • Plan, or No Plan?
  • Corridor Talk
  • Domestic Politics

Episode 416 | Recorded: February 17, 2025

Tevan Poghosyan - Incoming Trump, Armenia Azerbaijan Talks, Iran Visit, Pro-West Signals | Ep 404, Jan 12, 2025 [EP404]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, USA, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Syria, China, Georgia, Middle East, NATO, Economy, Genocide, Lebanon, European Union | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Incoming Trump Admin
  • Armenia Azerbaijan Talks Stalled
  • Iran Security Chief Visit
  • Armenia’s Pro-West Signals

Episode 404 | Recorded: January 14, 2025

Benyamin Poghosyan - Pashinyan Lies on Decades of Negotiations, 17 Points to an Agreement, 2024 Review and 2025 Outlook | Ep 403 - Dec 29, 2024 [EP403]

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Armenian Church, Ukraine, Genocide, Geopolitics, China, Georgia, European Union | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Pashinyan’s Lies on Decades of Negotiations
  • 17 Points to an Agreement
  • 2024 Review and 2025 Outlook

Episode 403 | Recorded: December 31, 2024

Ivan Katchanovski on the Maidan Massacre, Ukraine War, and Implications | Ep 393 - Dec 9, 2024 [EP393]

Posted on Monday, Dec 9, 2024 | Category: Ukraine, Politics, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, NATO, European Union, Israel, Human Rights, Geopolitics | Series: cog

Guest:

SUPPORT PROF. KATCHANOVSI’S WORK HERE: https://gofund.me/52b68e07

Topics:

  • The War in Ukraine
  • Trump’s “Eastern Approaches”
  • The Maidan Massacre and Its Legacy
  • Maidanization of Georgia?
  • Armenia in the Shadow of Ukraine

Episode 393 | Recorded: December 7, 2024

Glenn Diesen - Russia and The Eurasian World Order | Ep 359 - Sep 4, 2024 [EP359]

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 4, 2024 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Video, World Order, Armenia, China, Turkey, India, Iran, Georgia, Economy, Israel, Human Rights, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, NATO, Azerbaijan | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Norwegian & NATO Support for Ukraine
  • “The Ukraine War & the Eurasian World Order”
  • Small States and Multipolarity
  • Armenia’s Position in a Multipolar World

Episode 359 | Recorded: August 30, 2024

Pietro Shakarian - Russia, Iran, Armenia Relations, Ukraine Kursk Gambit, Travel Notes | Ep 357 - Aug 31, 2024 [EP357]

Posted on Saturday, Aug 31, 2024 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Artsakh, Iran, Nagorno Karabakh, BRICS, NATO, Georgia, Israel, Middle East, Turkey, Genocide, China, Geopolitics, Economy, India | Series: cog

Guest:

Topics:

  • Russian-Iranian Relations
  • Russian-Armenian Relations
  • Ukraine’s Kursk Gambit
  • Pavel Durov Arrested in France
  • Observations from Armenia and Russia

Episode 357 | Recorded: August 28, 2024

Anna Karapetyan - Armenia Azerbaijan Talks, Goris Kapan Road Handover Cover Up | Ep 355 - Aug 18, 2024 [EP355]

Posted on Monday, Aug 19, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Russia, Iran, NATO, Turkey | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenia Azerbaijan Talks
  • Goris Kapan Road Cover UP

Episode 355 | Recorded: August 19, 2024

Sergei Melkonian - Iran President and FM Killed in Helicopter Crash | Bagrat Srbazan Leads Mass Protests in Armenia | Armenian Russian Relations | Ep 333 - May 26, 2024 [EP333]

Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, India, Armenian Church, Israel, Turkey, Middle East, Ukraine, European Union, Georgia, Human Rights, NATO | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Iran President and FM Killed in Helicopter Crash
  • Bagrat Srbazan Leads Mass Protests in Armenia
  • Armenian Russian Relations

Episode 333 | Recorded: May 27, 2024