Active negotiations underway on venue for next ministerial meeting  within 3+3 regional platform

ArmInfo.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that active negotiations are underway to determine the location of the next ministerial meeting within the "3+3" regional platform.

In an interview with Turkish media, touching on Russia's interaction  with Turkey, Lavrov recalled that the two countries share neighbors  in the South Caucasus. "Turkey, along with Azerbaijan, were the main  initiators of the "3+3" format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and  their three large neighbors - Russia, Turkey, and Iran). Two  ministerial meetings have already taken place. A third is currently  being prepared.  Our Georgian neighbors are currently abstaining from  participation, but we continually emphasize that the door is open to  them. My colleague Hakan Fidan actively supports holding a third  ministerial meeting. A location is currently being determined. I hope  clarity will be reached soon," the Russian Foreign Minister said. It  should be noted that the first meeting of the "3+3" regional platform  was held on December 10, 2021, in Moscow, co-chaired by the deputy  foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey, as well  as the Director General of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The Russian  Foreign Ministry noted that representatives of Georgia, who were also  invited, abstained from participating in the meeting, but the door is  always open to them.

Following this, in 2023 in Iran, and in 2024 in Turkey, meetings of  representatives of this platform at the level of the foreign  ministers of five countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, and  Turkey - were held. Georgia again did not participate in the  platform's work. The parties agreed to hold the next meeting in  either Baku or Yerevan. However, a final agreement on the meeting's  location has not yet been reached.