The Russian Federation fully shares the approach to non-politicization of the 3+3 international format, which unites Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, responding to a question regarding the comment of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the 3+3 format should address issues of the entire region, rather than bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Zakharova reminded that the agenda of the platform was developed in Moscow in 2021 specifically to address emerging regional issues by the states of the region and their closest neighbors. "They, more than anyone else, are deeply interested in peace and security in the South Caucasus," she noted.
She emphasized that the agenda of the platform was worked out during three meetings of the foreign policy agencies: in Moscow in 2021, in Tehran in 2023, and in Istanbul in 2024. The agenda is of a universal nature, addressing a wide range of issues of multilateral cooperation: transport, energy, culture, combating new challenges and threats.
"There is no intention to discuss issues of bilateral relations. This format is about something else," she said.
According to Zakharova, Moscow expects an agreement between Baku and Yerevan on the sequence of the next meetings of the foreign ministers of the participating countries of the platform, which was reached following the Istanbul meeting.
At the first expert session of the platform, which took place on June 5 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum 2026, participants actively focused on the implementation of joint mutually beneficial economic projects without politicization. "We fully share this approach," Zakharova concluded.
