Russia says Armenia, Azerbaijan can use South Caucasus Cooperation Platform to work on peace treaty

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said that Armenia and Azerbaijan can use the 3+3 South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform to work on a peace treaty.

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul following the meeting, which includes three Caucasian countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – and their three neighbors, Iran, Russia, and Türkiye, Lavrov emphasized that the “best platform” would be where Baku and Yerevan can reach an agreement.

“Today, we proposed that if they are ready, they use the 3+3 platform to work on a peace treaty, which would be natural given that this format brings together the neighbors of Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, it’s up to Baku and Yerevan to decide,” Lavrov said.

He said that the Russian side reminded both countries of the groundwork laid as part of the trilateral framework between Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, particularly concerning unblocking communications and preparing for border delimitation.

Lavrov also touched upon Armenian-Turkish normalization, mentioning that Russia played an active role in initiating the process.

“There are no meetings planned for now, as our Armenian colleagues have taken a break. They believe that they first need to communicate directly with the Turkish side and determine the next steps,” he said.

He added that Armenian-Turkish normalization seems linked to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process.

"We proposed considering these issues comprehensively and encouraged the countries involved to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Russia and Iran stand ready to assist if there is interest from the direct participants,” he said.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization and the demarcation of their border.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh following an anti-terrorist operation after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.