Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to arrive in Tehran on Monday to partake in a ministerial meeting of the consultative regional platform known as 3+3 concerning the South Caucasus.
The 3+3 consultations engage the three South Caucasus countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, along with the three neighboring nations in the region – Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The inaugural meeting in this format took place on December 10, 2021, in Moscow, featuring deputy foreign ministers from the five countries. Notably, Georgia refrained from participating in that initial meeting. The upcoming meeting represents the first to be conducted at the level of foreign ministers.
At the end of September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed their support for reinvigorating the work of the 3+3 platform during a telephone conversation. On October 10, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had a phone discussion with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, where both ministers endorsed the swift resumption of consultations. Furthermore, on October 20, Lavrov engaged in a phone conversation with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, during which they harmonized their approaches to the format's activities.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed Lavrov's participation in the upcoming meeting. The Armenian Foreign Ministry also announced the involvement of their Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan. However, Georgia declined to attend the meeting. Lavrov had previously noted that the participants in these consultations have kept the door open for Tbilisi's potential participation.
The head of the Russian diplomatic ministry emphasized that this format holds great promise and is in high demand. It is particularly crucial for thwarting disruptive external interference that sometimes seeks to hinder the establishment of a stable regional security system in the Transcaucasus. Lavrov stressed that the West is actively working to undermine this nascent structure.
Meeting's agenda
The official agenda of the meeting has not been publicly disclosed by the participating countries. However, it is anticipated that discussions will primarily revolve around recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, where a new escalation occurred on September 19. Azerbaijan had announced the commencement of "local anti-terrorist measures" and called for the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the region. Consequently, the president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shahramanyan, issued a decree on September 28, declaring the termination of its existence effective from January 1, 2024.
According to the Iranian state agency IRNA, the foreign ministers will likely address the latest developments in the South Caucasus, with a primary focus on peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia. These talks are expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Denis Gonchar, Director of the Fourth Department of CIS countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry, has highlighted Russia's keen interest in unlocking the region's transit potential. This effort would be facilitated by the restoration of transportation routes. The ministers are also likely to explore prospects for collaborative projects aimed at modernizing infrastructure in the transportation and energy sectors.
Furthermore, discussions are expected to encompass cooperation in trade and economics, transportation, as well as cultural and humanitarian initiatives. The ministers are likely to address joint efforts in countering shared challenges and threats in the region.
The 3+3 cooperation format for the South Caucasus was initially proposed by Azerbaijani and Turkish leaders, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in late 2020. Russia and Iran expressed their support for this initiative, and Armenia subsequently joined the format. Notably, Georgia has declined to participate in this initiative.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS