BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev proposed the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and all associated institutions, as he received OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg and his accompanying delegation, Trend reports.
The head of state noted that although the consequences of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its lands has been on the agenda of the OSCE since its inception, neither this organization nor the OSCE Minsk-Group co-chairmanship mechanism had done anything to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, liberate Azerbaijani territories from occupation, and ensure the return of internally displaced persons. During these years, the negotiation process conducted by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group contributed to perpetuating the occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan, through its own determination and strength, has brought an end to the occupation, ensuring territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Noting that the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is now a thing of the past, the head of state proposed the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and all associated institutions. The Azerbaijani leader pointed out that Azerbaijan had raised this issue, and there appears to be no reason for Armenia to oppose it.