OSCE Minsk Group

The OSCE Minsk Group was a diplomatic format established in 1992 to support negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States.

Madrid Principles: A set of principles proposed in 2007 as a framework for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They became the co-chairs’ principal framework for negotiations.
Nagorno-Karabakh War: An armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, fought primarily from 1988 to 1994. The fighting created the urgent need for international mediation.
France: A European state and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. France served as one of the group’s three co-chair countries.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: A political and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. The group’s history is inseparable from the conflict it was mandated to mediate.
Basic Principles for the Peaceful Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: A framework of proposed principles for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, developed through Minsk Group negotiations. These principles translated mediation into a proposed sequence and substance for settlement.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe: A regional security organization whose participating states cooperate on political, military, economic, and human-rights issues. The OSCE established the group and provided its institutional framework.
Russia: A Eurasian state and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Russia co-chaired the group and maintained direct influence in the South Caucasus.
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war: A 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended with major territorial changes and a Russian-brokered ceasefire. The war exposed the limits of the group’s long-running negotiation format.
Minsk Process: The OSCE-led negotiation process intended to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This process was the group’s central diplomatic undertaking.
Helsinki Final Act: The 1975 agreement setting principles for relations among participating states of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. Its principles informed the OSCE’s approach to conflict resolution.

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