Russian MFA: "3+3" platform creates favorable conditions for dialogue

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko has said that the regional consultative platform "3+3" (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia plus Russia, Iran, and Turkey) established in December 2021 is a highly sought promising mechanism.

He made the remark in an interview with TASS while responding to a question about how the "3+3" format work in Transcaucasia is progressing, and are there still prospects for unblocking economic and transport ties in the region?

"We plan to actively use it to develop cooperation between the South Caucasus countries and their neighbours. The logic of such cooperation implies a collective consideration of issues of common interest, which do not exacerbate political contradictions and contribute to mutual trust. We are talking primarily about the search for answers to regional challenges and the resolution of emerging problems by the regions themselves. Involvement of all regional states in this process creates favourable conditions for establishing a dialogue, for example, between Yerevan and Baku, Yerevan and Ankara through the implementation of mutually beneficial projects in the areas of trade, energy, industry, innovative technologies, and modernization of infrastructure. Additional opportunities for cooperation between the South Caucasus countries and their neighbours are associated with the disclosure of the transit potential of the region and cooperation in combating new challenges and threats," he said.

According to Rudenko, currently, the preparation for the second meeting of the format is underway. We expect to hold it by the end of the first half of the year: "As for unblocking the transport and economic ties, the specialized trilateral working group co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia is engaged in it. A lot of work has been done in this direction. We are working towards the adoption of a specific decision as soon as possible, which will allow starting implementation of particular projects in the region."