Turkey anticipates Georgia’s participation in next meeting of so-called 3+3 regional platform
“We look forward to holding the next meeting in Turkey and hope that Georgia will take part in it,” Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Minister Cavusoglu. Photo: Mevlut Cavusoglu/twitter.
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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has stated that the next so-called 3+3 regional meeting, proposed by Turkey and Iran in 2020 and including Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, is expected to take place in Ankara, Turkey, and the latter looks forward to the participation of Georgia as well.
Georgia refused to take part in the first meeting, which took place in Moscow on December 10, though the country’s flag still appeared at the event, which was condemned and criticised by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on December 13.
We look forward to holding the next meeting in Turkey and hope that Georgia will take part in it,” Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Minister Cavusoglu.
The meeting on December 10 was attended by the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Iran and Turkey in Moscow, and representatives of these five countries stated that the ‘door remains open to Georgia.'
Georgia has emphasised several times, however, that it is not considering participation in the meeting, though the country offers Azerbaijan and Armenia its own format of discussions to keep the peace in the region.
Georgia and Russia suspended their diplomatic ties following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 when it declared the independence of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on August 26, 2008. However, the two countries have continued trade and economic discussions since 2013 under the Georgian Dream government with informal Georgian-Russian dialogue, which involves Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, and former Russian deputy foreign minister Gregory Karasin.
Following the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is a landlocked region in southwest Azerbaijan near the southeastern border of Armenia, in 2020 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forward the idea of launching a six-nation platform that includes the cooperation of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Iran in order to establish stability and peace in the region.
The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) says it is ‘unacceptable’ that the Georgian flag appeared at the so-called 3+3 regional cooperation initiative held on December 10 in Moscow in which the country refused to participate.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has reiterated that Georgia will not be present at a regional meeting scheduled for December 10 in Moscow in the so-called 3+3 format proposed by Turkey and Iran in 2020 which includes Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, RFE/RL's Georgian service reports.
The Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russian ex-deputy foreign minister Gregory Karasin met online earlier today. Georgia and Russia, which have suspended their diplomatic ties following the Russia-Georgia war, hold trade and economic talks since 2013, under the Georgian Dream governance.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that statements made by FM David Zalkaliani during a recent interview about a cooperation format proposed by Turkey and Iran which would include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia has been ‘misinterpreted’ by the media.
Regional peace and stability, as well as the signing of an updated cooperation agreement between Georgia and Turkey were two of the items on the agenda of Mustafa Sentop, the Speaker of The Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and Georgian officials hosting him on Monday.
The Georgian foreign office on Sunday said the country would not participate in a meeting of the so-called "3+3 format" taking place on Monday in Iran’s capital city of Tehran that would bring together officials from Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.