FM: Georgia offers alternative format to "3 + 3" cooperation initiative

"Georgia offers an alternative format to the "3 + 3" cooperation initiative, which will involve three countries of the South Caucasus," Georgia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said during a "ministerial hour" speech in parliament, Report informs.

According to the foreign minister, Tbilisi can act as a platform for dialogue between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia: "Of course, we do not have the ambition and resources to mediate in the political or conflict process. We have ambitions to offer economic projects that will help reduce tensions in the region, as well as to build long-term peace. Georgia participates in joint projects with Azerbaijan and Turkey in Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, supplying energy resources to Europe. This may be of interest to our Armenian partners."

Zalkaliani said that the future of the South Caucasus must be determined:

"We want to hold discussions with the regional countries on specific economic, logistics, transport projects, transit, tourism, people-to-people relations. We do not intend to discuss hypothetical projects with geopolitical goals. Our position is obvious and requires additional justification. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili's peace initiative also serves this purpose. The initiative can stabilize the situation in the South Caucasus and promote the development of new important infrastructure projects."

He noted that Georgia's position on the "3 + 3" format is quite clear: "We cannot join the geopolitical project that includes the country which held our territories under its occupation. I have openly expressed this position in meetings with my Turkish, Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts."