Ankara and Baku gave Moscow the right to launch “3 + 3” platform – RBC
POLITICS
07.10.2021 | 16:27Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdullahian yesterday that he had discussed with his Iranian counterpart the idea of launching a “3 + 3” platform with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey on unblocking transport routes in the region. According to Lavrov, Iran has expressed a positive attitude towards this idea, a similar attitude is observed in Azerbaijan and Turkey.
“We work with our Armenian partners. We hope that Georgia, despite all the problems there, will be able to see its fundamental interest in establishing such a mechanism for consultations and decision-making for the rapid development of the region, which has not developed for many years due to the conflict here,” Lavrov said.
The Russian RBC agency, citing its own sources, provided interesting details about the creation of the “3 + 3” platform. It should be noted that Turkish President Erdogan, who is actively supported by Azerbaijani President Aliyev in this issue, came up with the initiative to create such a platform after the 44-day Artsakh war. Russian media reports that Moscow is currently actively involved in the launch of the platform.
“It is clear that if the initiators are Ankara and Baku, then Armenia cannot participate. That’s why they gave Russia and Iran the right to launch the platform,” said a diplomatic source in Russia. He noted that if this measure works, the general regional agenda will be discussed, not only military and frozen conflicts. And this will be the difference of the new dimension from the existing platforms, for example, from the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, in the sphere of which only the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is.
The media outlet writes that Georgia’s position on this issue was reported to the country’s Foreign Minister Davit Zakkaliani in March, noting that they do not consider any platform with Russia, which has “occupied their territories.” According to RBC sources, Georgia’s refusal affects Armenia’s readiness to join the platform. The Armenian diplomatic source said that first of all, without one of the countries of the South Caucasus, that size will be reduced, and secondly, without Georgia, the advantage in the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem will be on the side.