With war over in Caucasus region, now time ripe for promotion of peace: Iran FM

Amirabdollahian made the statement while addressing the second 3+3 regional platform meeting, dubbed Time for Peace, Cooperation, and Progress in the South Caucasus, in Tehran on Monday.

Pointing to a “historic opportunity” provided now for all countries in the region to boost cooperation, he said the Tehran meeting aims to utilize regional capacities to solve issues, increase collective cooperation and establish peace and achieve economic development and welfare.

The participants — the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran — will have the chance to exchange views about issues in the Caucasus region and ways to improve mutual relations, he noted.

The 3+3 consultative platform was established in an attempt to resolve regional problems through the inclusion of regional countries and the exclusion of extra-regional and Western countries.

The first 3+3 meeting was held in Moscow in December 2021 at the level of deputy foreign ministers and without the presence of Georgia.

The six foreign ministers are expected to discuss regional issues such as the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The land-locked region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians.

Azerbaijan won the 2020 war, regaining much of the Nagorno-Karabakh. Another battle in September left the entire territory under the control of the Baku government after months of blockade.