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.

Guest:

Topics:

  • The Game of Alternatives
  • How does it apply to Negotiations?
  • Is Armenia Negotiating Effectively?

Episode 281 | Recorded: October 1, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • The Wagner Group
  • Special Ops in Russia
  • Over at The Ministry of Defense
  • A White Russian
  • On The Western Front
  • Are We Done Yet?
  • Parallels with 2016 in Armenia?
  • PMCs in Armenia?

Episode 265 | Recorded: June 30, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenia celebrates May 28
    • A new political movement, Mother Armenia, was announced.
  • Aliyev Threatens, Pashinyan Concedes
  • Erdogan Reelected President in Turkey
  • Goodbye CSTO, Hello NATO?

Episode 257 | Recorded: May 30, 2023

Guest:

Topic:

  • Azerbaijani Attacks over the Weekend
  • East and West
  • Armenia and the Rome Statute

Episode 241 | Recorded: March 26, 2023

Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 239, Mar 19, 2023

Armenian News Network Groong - March 19, 2023

Guest:

Topics:

  • The Current Living Conditions
    • Gas, Power, Food, Weather
  • Daily Ceasefire Violations
    • Shooting at Civilians
    • Heightened Threat of War
  • Process of Constitutional Amendment
    • Is Arayik Harutyunyan Planning to Resign?
    • Will the Amendment Go Through?
  • Negotiations with Azerbaijan
    • Invitation to Negtiate “Integration” in Baku
    • Artsakh Demands that Armenia Respect its own Laws
    • Artsakh Demands an International Platform for Negotiations

Episode 239 | Recorded: March 19, 2023

Today we’re going to talk with Anna Abrahamian about two or three topics.

  • The Munich Security Conference 2023.
  • We’ll touch on Russian president Putin’s state of the federation address.
  • The latest political developments in Artsakh.

Guest:

  • Anna Abrahamian, a geopolitical analyst who splits her time between Moscow and Athens. Having obtained training in international law, Anna has worked in such noteworthy institutions as the Defense Analyses Institute in Athens as well as the Crisis Group in Brussels. Today, Anna provides her analysis on geopolitics and Armenian politics to her
 Read More

Guests:

  • Suren Sargsyan, founder and a President at the Armenian Center for American Studies, a research center based in Yerevan.

“Pashinyan’s participation in Munich Security Conference didn’t give anything to Armenia” - Suren Sargsyan

Topic:

Today is day 72 of the total blockade of Artsakh. For 72 days, the 120K citizens of Artsakh have not had the ability to enter or exit their country. They are deprived of the ability to visit Armenia or to receive guests from Armenia. With very limited supplies, they are forced to ration food with the help of food stamps in order to

 Read More

Guests:

  • Aram Orbelyan, international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.

“The Armenian government, under its legislation, is obliged to protect the independence of Artsakh” - Aram Orbelyan

Topic:

As of earlier this week, Artsakh has introduced coupons to ration food. Other

 Read More

“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan

Guest:

  • Aram Orbelyan, an international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.

Topic:

This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand

 Read More