Publish Date: 18 October 2024 - 16:13

TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) – A foreign ministerial meeting of the Regional Cooperation Mechanism for the Caucasus region, known as 3+3, began on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey.

The third meeting of the group includes representatives from the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, and Russia. As it has been announced earlier, Georgia's foreign minister did not participate in the meeting, despite the fact that his country is one of the participants in the 3+3 mechanism. 

Bilateral meetings with participating ministers and high-level officials of the host country are is on the agenda of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The second 3+3 meeting was held last year in Tehran, with the participation of the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

The meeting focused on discussing issues in the South Caucasus region and efforts to enhance regional cooperation in political, economic, security, transit, and energy sectors.

One of the primary goals of forming the regional group is to address regional issues with the participation of regional countries, without the interference of extra-regional and Western countries.

Heading a delegation, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Istanbul as the next leg of his regional tour and also attending the 3+3 mechanism meeting. Before arriving in Istanbul, Araghchi had traveled to Jordan and Egypt for consultations with senior officials regarding the latest regional developments, particularly the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

Araghchi’s regional tour, aimed at stopping the Israeli regime’s crimes in Lebanon and Gaza, also took him to Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Oman.

Istanbul marks the ninth stop in his recent regional diplomatic tour amid the escalating tensions.

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