TEHRAN, August 25. /TASS/. Negotiations in the 3+3 format (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia - Russia, Turkey, Iran) will become a more effective mechanism for resolving problems in the South Caucasus, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone.

"During [my last] visit [to Yerevan], Armenian Prime Minister [Nikol Pashinyan] assured me that the views of both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia were fully taken into account in the recent negotiations and agreements between this country and the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States. However, I believe that negotiations in the 3+3 format with the participation of Iran and Russia will become a more effective and efficient mechanism for resolving the problems of the Caucasus region," Peseshkian said.

The initiative of the six-party format of cooperation on the South Caucasus was put forward by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the end of 2020. Russia and Iran welcomed this idea, and Armenia also joined. Georgia said it has no plans to participate.

On August 8, Aliyev and Pashinyan, having met with US President Donald Trump, signed a joint declaration that includes seven points that emphasize Baku and Yerevan’s desire for peace, but do not fix the details. The declaration says that the parties have initialed the agreement on the establishment of peace and restoration of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and will make efforts for its final ratification. Also, Yerevan and Baku signed a joint appeal to the OSCE on the dissolution of the Minsk Group.