Georgian MP: 3+3 format unacceptable precisely because of Russia

Chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Nikoloz Samkharadze has said Georgia will not participate in the 3+3 format until the de-occupation of its territories takes place.

"For us, the 3+3 format is unacceptable precisely because of Russia," Samkharadze told Georgia's Public Broadcaster, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

Samkharadze said that the country has a "very clear position" regarding non-participation in the 3+3 format. However, Georgia does not ignore the internal Caucasian processes.

According to him, non-participation "does not mean that we will not develop bilateral relations with Türkiye and will not try to establish a format of trilateral relations with the participation of Georgia-Armenia-Azerbaijan”.

The committee’s chairman noted that the 3+3 format "will not be useful for de-occupation of our territories."

"We have the Geneva format, and we see very well how Russia behaves in the Geneva format; For 15 years it has been blocking all decisions that could advance the conflict settlement process and some steps towards de-occupation would be taken. Therefore, I have no illusions that Russia will behave differently in any other format," Samkharadze said.

He also noted that after the 3+3 meeting in Tehran, a "very interesting" communique was published in which countries, including Russia, recognize the international legal principles of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.