First "3 + 3" format meeting - who will get what?

The first meeting of the "3 + 3" format will be held in Moscow today.

The conference will be attended by Azerbaijani Deputy FM Khalaf Khalafov, Russian Deputy FM Andriy Rudenko, Turkish Deputy FM Sadat Onal, as well as Armenian Deputy FM Vahe Gevorgyan and an Iranian official.

The Georgian side will not attend the meeting.

After the 44-day war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initiated the establishment of the Six-Country Regional Cooperation Platform.

What is the need for a six-country cooperation platform, which consists of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Georgia, and Russia? What will be its contribution to the region and international cooperation?

Due to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia and the aggressive policy pursued by official Yerevan, the region's states have not fully realized their potential for almost 30 years. In addition to threatening regional and international security, Armenians have also obstructed cooperation in the South Caucasus.

However, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey have long proved the benefits and advantages of collaboration by implementing a number of energy and communication projects.

Armenia has been left out of these projects due to its aggressive and disruptive position. In other words, Azerbaijan's just and fair demands and conditions have put the country out of the game in large-scale projects in the region. If Armenia had not made claims to occupy Azerbaijani lands and unfounded suits against neighboring countries, it could have gained more by participating in these projects.

The 44-day war proved that the occupying power had leveled with the ground for almost 30 years. It was involved in illegal activities such as demolition of buildings in those areas, illegal looting of underground resources.

Just as the occupation and aggressive policy did not bring success to Armenia, so did the illegal activities on the Azerbaijani lands. The Second Karabakh War shook the Armenian government and society to see the reality. The reality is to renounce aggression and sabotage and cooperate in the region.

Iran and Armenia have delayed cooperation on the six-point platform for a year. Therefore, the implementation of the initiative was delayed. However, Tehran and Yerevan have recently begun to see the benefits of cooperation in this format.

Georgia's refusal to participate in the "3 + 3" is understandable. Official Tbilisi claims it does not want to cooperate with Russia in the format because it has no diplomatic relations. In fact, this can be understood as an indirect acceptance of cooperation by Georgia on the platform because this country has seen the benefits of regional cooperation in the implementation of other projects. In this regard, it is possible that official Tbilisi will join this format in the future.

Participation of Turkey, Iran, and Russia, which play an essential role in the world political arena, shows the attractiveness of "3 + 3" platform. The establishment of a new partnership format between Ankara, Tehran, and Moscow increases confidence in preventing possible regional conflicts and establishing lasting peace.

At the same time, Armenia's participation in this format may give impetus to opening borders with Turkey in the future. In addition, it will help prevent the Armenians' false claims against Turkey and Turkish hostility. The 3 + 3 platform can also be a catalyst for the launch of the Zangazur corridor. The opening of this corridor will be a great support to the realization of the potential of the "six" format.

Thus, wars end peacefully. After the end of the war, the enemy sides cooperate with each other. In this regard, it is enough to look at the relations between Germany and France after the Second World War. The European Union, created with the participation of these countries, is now one of the world's foremost power centers.

Therefore, since the end of the conflict, there has been a need to establish a climate of trust in the South Caucasus region, especially between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The conflicting parties need to work on one platform and make regular contacts. In general, the "3 + 3" or "3 + 2" format may fulfill this function in the future. Today's meeting can be considered the first step to building an atmosphere of trust and cooperation. Peace and security in the South Caucasus will contribute to the international security chain.