No:506/21, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov answers the media’s question about the meeting in a "3 + 3" format in Moscow

Answer: On December 10, 2021, an inaugural meeting of the “3 + 3” mechanism of regional consultations, the initiative that was put forward by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was held in Moscow at the level of Deputy Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Russia and Turkey.

Georgia's future participation in this format was praised by all participants. The Georgian side will also be informed about the results of the discussions.

At the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the development of cooperation in the field of confidence-building, restoration, reconstruction and expansion of economic and transport ties in the region.

Under the mechanism, meetings and discussions at the level of Deputy Ministers will be held at least twice a year, on a rotating basis in each participating country. Meetings and discussions will be held under the coordination and leadership of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs with the participation of the Ministries of Economy and Transport and, if necessary, other sectoral bodies.

Depending on the development of the consultation mechanism, higher-level meetings and discussions may be organized. The mechanism will be based on the principle of consensus.

Common regional issues, as well as initiatives and projects of mutual interest to the parties, contributing to regional stability and prosperity, can be discussed at the meetings.

The next meeting will be agreed through diplomatic channels.