Regional Cooperation Declaration Released in Istanbul

On July 15 local time, the third foreign minister-level meeting of the 3+3 Regional Cooperation Platform for the South Caucasus concluded successfully in Istanbul, Turkey. Foreign ministers of the five participating countries reviewed, signed and officially issued the joint declaration of this meeting, establishing a unified action framework for multilateral cooperation and lasting peace in the South Caucasus region. Hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the meeting gathered foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran. Georgia, an original member of the mechanism, continued to skip this round of consultations and sent no representatives. This high-level multilateral talk marks the third session of the mechanism, following the first deputy foreign minister-level meeting held in Moscow in 2021 and the second foreign minister-level meeting in Tehran in 2023, and regional parties hold high expectations for the implementation of this declaration.\

Guided by the core principles of independent regional development and win-win cooperation, the closed-door in-depth consultations throughout the meeting covered four major agendas: regional security, settlement of bilateral disputes, cross-border economic connectivity and geopolitical risk prevention and control. Opening with a full reaffirmation of all principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the joint declaration confirms unanimously that all regional disputes must be resolved peacefully through equal diplomatic dialogue. It fully respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all countries as well as the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, strictly adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and opposes the use or threat of force to settle differences. All parties also commit to fully protecting the basic human rights of people in the region. The document highlights that economic, trade and infrastructure cooperation serves as the most pragmatic path to resolve historical estrangement and build mutual trust among nations. All sides reached a consensus to systematically advance practical cooperation in six key sectors: cross-border highway and railway transport networks, trans-regional digital communication infrastructure, multilateral free trade, coordinated development of oil, gas and renewable energy, facilitation of cross-border investment and financing, and connectivity projects for regional transport corridors, aiming to consolidate the foundation of peace through tangible cooperation outcomes.

The five foreign ministers held multiple rounds of individual and collective mediation talks focusing on core issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh, border demarcation and the opening of cross-border transport corridors. A standalone chapter was added to the declaration, encouraging Armenia and Azerbaijan to press ahead with negotiations on a permanent peace treaty under the existing bilateral negotiation framework. The 3+3 platform is recognized as a supplementary multilateral dialogue channel to provide neutral coordination space for the two countries’ talks. Russia, Turkey and Iran all stated their readiness to continue acting as intermediaries to facilitate the full resumption of cross-border passages such as the Zangezur Corridor, which will open up the overland trade artery connecting Europe and southern Asia. Meanwhile, all parties assessed multiple security challenges brought by the complex global geopolitical landscape and agreed to establish a regional joint prevention and control mechanism to jointly combat cross-border smuggling, organized crime, cyber hybrid threats and extremist terrorism. Concerning the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the declaration calls on all conflicting parties to implement an immediate comprehensive ceasefire and guarantee unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief supplies to prevent regional turmoil from spilling over into the South Caucasus.

Several separate bilateral meetings were arranged during the conference. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov held one-on-one consultations with his counterparts from Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, focusing on divergences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, economic and trade ties between Russia and South Caucasus states, and division of mediation roles in the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan met privately with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan to advance the normalization of bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia, and coordinate joint positions with Azerbaijan. Upon the completion of all official agendas, all attending foreign ministers jointly met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, briefing him on the consultation outcomes and core contents of the declaration. President Erdoğan stated that Turkey will continue to lead the operation of the 3+3 multilateral platform and support the long-term stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia released an official interpretation right after the meeting, clarifying that Russia adheres to the depoliticization development path of the platform, advocating that the mechanism should prioritize pragmatic livelihood, infrastructure and energy projects instead of becoming a tool for geopolitical games. Russia also disclosed that it is waiting for Armenia and Azerbaijan to negotiate and confirm the rotating host for the next round of foreign minister meetings, so as to promote the normalization and institutionalization of multilateral dialogues. Think tanks across regional countries have released research assessments on the declaration, generally regarding it as the most comprehensive and implementation-oriented multilateral consensus document in the South Caucasus in recent years. It not only builds an exclusive diplomatic platform for regional countries to handle regional affairs independently, but also balances the regional interests of three major surrounding powers — Russia, Turkey and Iran. It will reshape the overall geopolitical landscape of energy logistics, cross-border trade and regional security governance in the long run, and create a stable external environment for the full reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

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