Your trusted source

The first meeting of the so-called 3+3 regional consultative mechanism in the South Caucasus took place in Moscow on December 10, attended by deputy foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Turkey as well as Director General of Iran's Foreign Ministry.  

According to the statement by the Russian foreign ministry, the representatives of Georgia who had been invited to the meeting, didn't attend it. Despite the absence of Georgian side, the Russian ministry called the format '3+3'. It is noted that the representatives of participating countries expressed interest in Georgia's joining the platform and stated 'the door remains open.'

Armenia was represented at the meeting by Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan. The expediency of Armenia's participation in the format has been continuously questioned by many political analysts and expert who insisted that the format serves mostly the interests of Azerbaijan and Turkey and will not consider Armenia's vital concerns. 

The 3+3 regional consultative mechanism was proposed by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan, comprising Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia plus Iran, Russia and Turkey. Georgia earlier rejected the idea and refused from participation, while official Yerevan stated that the proposed regional format can not replicate the existing ones and that issues of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement as well as demarcation and delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be discussed within the new format.