Mohammad Farazmand said in an op-ed article in Anadolu Agency on Monday that Iran welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's proposal to create a 3+3 format consisting of three South Caucasian states Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia as well as Iran, Russia, and Turkey, IRNA reports.
He said that Iran's support of the initiative was reaffirmed by former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in his regional tour last year to Baku, Yerevan, Moscow, Tbilisi, and Ankara.
The initiative would help the region to solve problems, minimize tension grounds, expand cooperation, and create a powerful region through synergy between the regional states, the diplomat said.
He further explained there is a great level of collective determination, common interests, and mutual understanding as well as perseverance to realize a 3+3 or even 3+2 format.
The Islamic Republic of Iran as a country with good ties with all the states within the aforementioned format, Farazmand said, is eager to implement the initiative and believes that it could unlock bright horizon of political, security, trade, economic, and transportation cooperation to the nations in the region.
Russian and Turkish foreign ministers met on the sidelines of G20 summit in Rome and discussed the 3+3 format, according to Farazmand, who added that Azerbaijani President Ilahm Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan had also previously suggested holding a six-party talks.
The Iranian ambassador said that other than Turkey as the proposer, Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia, Iran, and Russia have welcomed the initiative.
