Russia sees “3+3” as trust‑building format in South Caucasus

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sergei Kopyrkin, Russia's ambassador to Armenia, emphasized at a Russia-focused event that the “3+3” format—encompassing South Caucasus nations plus Russia, Iran, and Turkey—is becoming a foundational trust-building platform in the region .

“We see major potential in developing the ‘3+3’ regional cooperation framework, which includes the countries of the South Caucasus and their neighbors—Russia, Iran, and Turkey,” he stated, according to Sputnik Armenia .

Kopyrkin noted that geography, historical developments, and political dynamics in the Eurasian space mandate the creation of bridges between all regional countries, and combining existing multilateral frameworks and integration groupings .

He recalled Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for a broad Eurasian partnership—a model intended to offer equal opportunities and form a unified security architecture across the continent .

At the same time, the ambassador stressed that this initiative isn’t about forming closed or exclusive alliances. It aims to foster open, flexible, and inclusive cooperation driven by the real needs of citizens, states, and businesses .

“Our shared task is not to miss the unique opportunities offered by Eurasian cooperation. We are ready to support our Armenian friends in joining these processes,” Kopyrkin added .

He also noted that Moscow fully values its partners’ sovereign desire to expand external ties and is ready to assist in those efforts .

At the same time, he said, Russia expects Armenia to avoid actions that could harm the foundations of multilateral cooperation or disrupt the centuries-old bonds between brotherly peoples .

Kopyrkin concluded that Russia Day is not only a holiday for the Russian people, but also for all who feel spiritual connections with the country, respect its history, and seek to strengthen friendship and cooperation with the Russian people .

Russia Day marks the State Sovereignty Declaration of June 12, 1990, celebrated annually for over three decades.