Azerbaijani FM warns of escalating external threats amid regional cooperation efforts UPDATED

On October 18, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov addressed the “3+3” regional format meeting during his working visit to Istanbul, Türkiye.

According to information provided by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Jeyhun Bayramov outlined Azerbaijan's approach to leveraging existing challenges in security, economy, trade, energy, transportation, communications, environmental protection, and natural and man-made disasters for the purposes of regional cooperation, Caliber.Az reports.

Jeyhun Bayramov expressed gratitude to Türkiye for hosting the 3+3 meeting and emphasized the significance Azerbaijan places on consultations within regional cooperation frameworks to address current challenges. He highlighted the increasing urgency of regional dialogue in light of external forces amplifying their hazardous agenda, which includes militarization, geopolitical tensions, and efforts to impose divisions within the region.

The Minister stressed the necessity of adhering to international law principles in the current context, particularly emphasizing the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, and non-interference in internal affairs.

Jeyhun Bayramov remarked that since regaining independence, Azerbaijan has fostered mutually beneficial cooperation with regional countries, leading to the implementation of vital projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the North-South corridor. He expressed optimism that these collaborative projects would extend to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and anticipated the completion of communications linking Azerbaijan's East Zangezur economic region to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Iran.

The Minister reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to advancing sustainable peace with Armenia. Jeyhun Bayramov underscored the importance of overcoming obstacles hindering the peace process, particularly emphasizing the necessity for amendments to the Armenian Constitution to ensure that aggression and occupation do not recur and that peace remains unaffected by internal political or legal circumstances. He also noted that Armenia's pursuit of a “halfway peace,” which disregards existing issues and stalls the peace process, raises concerns about the presence of a “secret agenda.”

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Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov urged Armenia to amend its Constitution as a crucial step toward achieving sustainable peace in the South Caucasus as he addressed the session of the 3+3 regional consultative format in Istanbul, Türkiye.

FM Bayramov emphasized that constitutional reforms are necessary to eliminate remnants of past conflicts and facilitate a new era of cooperation, Caliber.Az reports citing the ministry.

The minister articulated Azerbaijan's vision for transforming common challenges into collaborative opportunities across various sectors, including security, economy, trade, energy, transportation, communication, and environmental protection.

The 3+3 platform, which comprises Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Iran, and Türkiye, was established to tackle regional issues and promote collaboration. The inaugural meeting occurred in December 2021 in Moscow, initially involving deputy foreign ministers. Since then, the platform has progressed to include higher-level discussions.

By Tamilla Hasanova