FM: Armenia rejects 3+3 format as negotiation platform with Azerbaijan

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said that Yerevan does not view the 3+3 format as a negotiation platform with Baku but will continue participating in this regional framework.  

Mirzoyan made these remarks in the parliament, Caliber.Az reports per local media. 

Earlier in Istanbul, following a meeting of the regional platform, Russia, Iran, and Türkiye proposed Yerevan and Baku to use the 3+3 format to finalise a peace agreement.

“There is no such proposal on the agenda, and even if it were to arise, we do not see it as prudent to respond positively, as we already have a bilateral negotiation format with Azerbaijan—both for the peace agreement and for delimitation,” he stated.

He noted that during various multilateral meetings, foreign ministers often use the opportunity to hold bilateral discussions.

“Along with the Azerbaijani foreign minister, we had another round of negotiations, focusing on the text of the peace agreement, aiming to facilitate a positive outcome and expedite its signing,” Mirzoyan added. 

Following the meeting at the 3+3 platform in Istanbul, the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers agreed to continue negotiations on the Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations.

The 3+3 format for regional cooperation, proposed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aims to enhance trade and economic relations among Türkiye, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.

On December 10, 2021, precisely one year after Erdoğan’s announcement, the inaugural working meeting of the 3+3 was convened in Moscow at the level of deputy foreign ministers.

The second summit of foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Armenia, Iran and Russia in the 3+3 format occurred in Tehran on October 24, 2023.

By Naila Huseynova