ISTANBUL: The foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia convened in Istanbul under the "3+3" cooperation platform to discuss regional challenges and opportunities in security, economy, and infrastructure, Trend News Agency reports. According to Trend News Agency, the meeting was hosted by the Republic of Trkiye, emphasizing regional dialogue and cooperation. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted the importance of the session in addressing various regional issues through collective efforts in security, economy, trade, energy, transportation, communication, environmental protection, and disaster response. Bayramov thanked Trkiye for facilitating this critical platform and stressed the need for continual regional dialogue to counteract the negative impacts of external militarization and geopolitical tensions. He underscored the adherence to international law principles, including sovereignty and territorial integrity. During his speech, Bayramov pointed out Azerbaijan's proactive approach in regional collaborations, which has led to significant projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the North-South transport corridor. He expressed hope for future initiatives that would integrate the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic more closely with regional projects, particularly through communications links through Iran to the Eastern Zangezur economic region. Moreover, Bayramov reinforced Azerbaijan's commitment to a sustainable peace process with Armenia, urging for the removal of obstacles to peace, including necessary constitutional changes to forestall future conflicts. He criticized the current peace efforts from the Armenian side as insufficient, suggesting a possible "hidden agenda" that could derail long-term peacebuilding efforts. The "3+3" platform, which also saw participation from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, aims at enhancing discussion and resolution of South Caucasus regional issues directly by the involved countries. The previous meeting under this fra mework was held in Tehran on October 23 last year, with similar participation from the regional foreign ministers.