Russia believes the "3+3" format to be a bedrock element of Eurasian security, and Georgia is always free to join the work of the regional platform, deputy director at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth Department of CIS countries Dmitry Masyuk said.
"We believe that this format will be one of the cornerstones of the Eurasian security system in the future. We are confident that active engagement of all participating countries, including Georgia, to which the doors remain open, in the work of the ‘3+3’ platform will guarantee success and prosperity of the entire region," Dmitry Masyuk said.
He stressed that Moscow believes that meetings of the consultative regional platform are crucial for improving ties in the South Caucasus and ensuring the countries’ sustained and harmonious cooperation in areas of common interest.
According to the official, the establishment of this format is gaining momentum. Three meetings have already been held: in Moscow in December 2021, in Tehran in October 2023, and in Istanbul in October 2024.
In 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forward the idea of a six-party format for cooperation in the South Caucasus. Russia and Iran welcomed the idea, Armenia also joined the initiative, while Georgia refused to engage in it.