Russian FM: Next meeting of 3+3 cooperation format in the pipeline

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the second meeting of the cooperation platform under the 3+3 format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia - Russia, Turkiye, and Iran) to look into developments in the South Caucasus is being prepared and will be held in the near future, Azernews reports citing TASS.

Lavrov made the remarks at a press conference following the talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on June 8 in Antalya, Turkiye.

"We agreed on how to work further in the South Caucasus, you know, the 3+3 format was created at Turkey's initiative. We held the first meeting in Moscow, Georgian colleagues could not participate, but we emphasize that they are always welcome. The next meeting is being prepared, in the very near future, I expect that we will be able to announce it,” Lavrov underlined.

"We discussed the 3+3 format in the Caucasus, as well as the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Turkiye and Armenia. I thank Russia for its support in these matters," Cavusoglu said after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

"In particular, we believe that the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is important for the stability in the region," the minister added.

A meeting between Turkish and Russian Foreign Ministers Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sergey Lavrov was held in Turkey's Antalya on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Ankara with an official visit on June 7.

The two ministers discussed the situation around Ukraine, the settlement of the Syrian conflict, Libya and Karabakh, as well as the situation in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Lavrov and Cavusoglu exchanged views on perspectives of trade and economic cooperation amid the West’s anti-Russian sanctions.

On October 30, 2021, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the prospects of launching the regional mechanism 3+3 in order to unblock economic and transport ties and promote mutually beneficial infrastructure projects in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan, along with Turkiye earlier offered a new regional cooperation format that would involve all six regional countries, including Armenia.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced Baku's willingness for a new regional cooperation platform at a press conference on December 10, 2020.

The six-sided platform is the idea of launching a consultative regional mechanism with the participation of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Turkiye.

It is believed that the cooperation platform will meet the interests of all its potential participants, contribute to strengthening peace, and confidence, and lead to stimulating economic processes and cooperation in the South Caucasus.