Moscow hopes to use the "3 + 3" format

Baku/26.11.21/Turan: Russia hopes that holding a meeting in the "3 + 3" format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia - Russia, Turkey, Iran) on the Transcaucasus is a "short-term" issue,  the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrei Rudenko told  TASS on Friday.

"While these issues are being worked out, it is necessary to obtain the consent of all participants. When it is reached, we will announce where it will take place. We hope that this is a short-term issue," he said, answering the relevant question.

A place for Georgia in the "3 + 3" format with the participation of the three republics of the Caucasus and Russia, Iran and Turkey will remain until Tbilisi expresses its readiness to take part in such discussions, Rudenko noted. "We are completely open for the participation of Georgians in this process. Therefore, if such a meeting takes place, and there are plans to hold a meeting in one of the capitals of these six states," he said.

“Of course, recent events have changed the picture in the region, and we need to somehow adapt to the new reality. This is an objective reality, it must be perceived as it is," said Rudenko. Moscow supported this initiative, since the countries of the region themselves must solve regional problems, the diplomat said.

Earlier, the leaders of Azerbaijan came up with the initiative of the six-sided format of cooperation on Karabakh. Iran welcomed this idea, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the format is interesting for Yerevan if it does not replace the OSCE Minsk Group.

Official Tbilisi has repeatedly stated that it will not participate in the "3 + 3" format, since Russia occupied the territory of Georgia. -02D-