‘3+3’ regional platform is becoming more prospective, Russia FM says

The "3+3" regional platform is already "getting flesh" and becoming more prospective. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, starting talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov. "The initiative of [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev, the so-called ‘3+3’ regional platform of the three South Caucasus countries and their three neighbors, is already getting flesh. It is a prospective format. I will be glad to hear your evaluations about further steps in this direction," said Lavrov, addressing Bayramov. The presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, took the initiative of this six-party format in 2020. It was later named "3+3." Russia and Iran have welcomed this concept; Armenia also has joined this format. Georgia, however, announced that it does not plan to participate in this initiative. And on December 10, 2021, the first meeting of this regional consultative platform took place in Moscow—and at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the aforementioned five countries.