Georgia to skip "3+3" platform talks to be held in Istanbul

Georgia will not participate in the upcoming "3+3" platform talks on the South Caucasus, scheduled for October 18 in Istanbul, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry press service.

"No, we will not participate [in the '3+3' platform meeting in Istanbul," a press service representative stated, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"Georgia has long declared that it does not engage in this format."

The initiative for a six-party cooperation format concerning the South Caucasus, involving Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Türkiye, and Iran, was proposed in late 2020 by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, subsequently termed "3+3."

Both Russia and Iran welcomed this initiative, and Armenia later agreed to participate. However, Georgia has maintained its stance of non-participation in the initiative.

The first meeting of the consultative regional platform at the deputy foreign ministers' level took place in Moscow on December 10, 2021. The most recent meeting at the foreign ministers' level occurred in Tehran in October 2023.

Notably, the “3+3” format for regional cooperation is an initiative voiced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which intends to strengthen trade and economic ties between Türkiye, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

On December 10, 2021, exactly one year after Erdoğan’s announcement, the first working meeting of the “3+3” was held in Moscow at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers.

The second “3+3” summit of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Armenia, Iran, and Russia took place in Tehran on October 24, 2023.

By Khagan Isayev