Iran has good bilateral ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and the main goal is to turn these ties into a trilateral format, stated on Wednesday in Baku the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, the head of the Center for International and Political Studies, Muhammad Kazim Sajagpur at a meeting with the heads of the analytical centers of the three countries.

He highlighted the important role of think tanks in exploring new opportunities for the development of relations between states.

Congratulating Azerbaijan on the occasion of the liberation of the occupied territories, the Iranian diplomat noted that the emerging new reality is not only a “national, but also a regional issue.”

The head of the Azerbaijan Center for Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev, in turn, noted that the platform of analytical centers is a suitable platform for discussing any issues, including problematic ones. “Our goal is to discuss the new geopolitical situation after the Second Karabakh war, new potential for cooperation in the region, including transport and other projects,” Shafiyev said.

He recalled that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey proposed a platform for regional cooperation in the 3 + 3 format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia + Turkey, Iran, Russia). However, it is unlikely that all 6 states will be able to get together in the near future. Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have not improved, and Baku’s proposals on post-conflict settlement have not been accepted by Yerevan. “Holding the current discussions in a trilateral format serves precisely to expand the platform,” Shafiyev said.

Director of the Turkish Center for Turkish Studies, Hakky Uygur, noted that Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey have common values in terms of history, culture and identity. At the same time, all three countries of the region often face common threats and challenges. Such meetings provide a good opportunity to analyze the political processes in the region.

Uygur further said that the conference will discuss the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and Afghanistan, issues of joint trade. Based on the results of the event, a report will be prepared.

Then the event continued behind closed doors. Tomorrow the conference participants will make a trip to Agdam.

Source: Turan News Agency