Russia wants reactions from Armenia, Georgia over "3+3" regional platform

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia is waiting for reactions from Armenia and Georgia in relation to a proposed platform dubbed "3+3" comprising the three countries, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Wednesday, October 6.

The format will address the issues of security, unblocking economic and transport ties, Lavrov said at a news conference following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Moscow.

"The joint statement [by Russian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani leaders that put an end to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh] contained the principles that define joint steps to advance the settlement, including work on unblocking all transport communications, unblocking all economic ties in this region, from which not only Armenia and Azerbaijan but also Georgia will benefit.

"Iran, Russia, and Turkey, as the closest neighbors of these three republics, will also benefit from this," the minister said, according to Daily Sabah.

Lavrov said Iran had already expressed its positive attitude toward the initiative. Turkey and Azerbaijan also responded in affirmative.

"We work with our Armenian colleagues. We hope that Georgia, despite all problems it is experiencing, will be able to see its fundamental interest in creating such a mechanism for consultations and coordination of solutions for the accelerated development of this region, which has been holding back its development for a long time due to the ongoing conflicts here," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week said after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi that Russia was ready to create a six-nation platform.