Türkiye to host 3rd South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform

The third meeting of the South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform will be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, focusing on fostering stability, economic prosperity, and regional connectivity through concrete cooperation projects.

The event, scheduled for Friday and hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, will bring together high-level diplomats from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Russia.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov, Armenia's Ararat Mirzoyan, Iran's Abbas Araghchi and Russia's Sergey Lavrov are among those expected to attend.

Minister Fidan is expected to highlight Türkiye's efforts to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus and reiterate the importance of regional ownership in resolving conflicts.

He is also likely to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for ongoing peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and mention the normalisation process between Türkiye and Armenia.

The meeting aims to build trust through economic cooperation, particularly in areas of connectivity and economic integration.

Additionally, bilateral meetings between the foreign ministers and a formal reception by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the visiting ministers are planned.

The meeting is anticipated to conclude with the adoption of a Joint Declaration, stressing the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue, respecting sovereignty, and fostering regional economic collaboration, especially in transportation and connectivity.

“3+3” format

The South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform was established following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, spearheaded by President Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, to create a platform for regional dialogue and cooperation.

The first meeting was held in Moscow in December 2021, followed by a second meeting in the “3+3” format was held in Tehran on October 23 last year.

The platform includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, as well as Iran, Russia and Türkiye.