Iran praises 3+3 as ‘effective’ mechanism for resolving issues in Caucasus region, rejects foreign interference
Iran’s foreign minister has underlined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries, supporting the 3+3 format as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes in the Caucasus region without foreign interference.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remark in a meeting with Armen Grigoryan, the secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia, in Tehran on Tuesday as the two discussed the latest developments in the region and the 3+3 cooperation format, which includes the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
Amir-Abdollahian underscored the Islamic Republic’s principled and unchanging policy to safeguard international borders and territorial integrity of regional countries.
The top Iranian diplomat emphasized the need to resolve regional issues through cooperation among countries of the region, calling the 3+3 format an “effective mechanism to resolve regional issues without interference of foreign powers.”
Amir-Abdollahian also expressed Iran’s readiness to send humanitarian aid to the internally-displaced people in Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked disputed region in Caucasus that lies within Azerbaijan’s borders.
The region has always been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, who have resisted Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the territory.
Last month, Azerbaijan launched an operation to seize control of the breakaway territory and end a three-decade-old conflict. The operation ended on September 20, after the Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in 24 hours and made the separatists agree to lay down weapons, under a Russian-mediated ceasefire.
