Iran: 3+3 cooperation format bespeaks regional will to settle disputes
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the 3+3 regional cooperation platform a symbol of the member states’ determination to settle regional disputes by regional countries.
Addressing the third meeting of the 3+3 regional cooperation platform in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday, the top Iranian diplomat welcomed the progress in peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that respect for territorial integrity, national sovereignty, internationally recognized borders and not threatening to use force is a requirement for sustainable peace in the region.
The 3+3 consultative platform, comprising the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran, was established in an attempt to settle regional issues without foreign interference. The dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region had been at the center of the three rounds of the talks. The land-locked region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians.
Azerbaijan won the 2020 war, regaining much of the Nagorno-Karabakh. Another battle in September left the entire territory under the control of the Baku government after months of blockade. The first 3+3 meeting was held in Moscow, Russia, in December 2021 at the level of deputy foreign ministers and without the presence of Georgia.
The second was held in Tehran on October 23 with the participation of the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkey.
In a post on X on Friday, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran is ready to promote stability and friendship in the Caucasus region based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all regional states. “Iran stands ready to work with other partners to make the Caucasus a sphere of stability, friendship, and prosperity based on respect for sovereignty, sovereign equality, and territorial integrity of all regional states,” Esmaeil Baghaei wrote.