“Our perspective on the South Caucasus is also based on a sense of regional ownership. We believe that the states of the region know the regional problems best and are capable of solving them,” said Fidan in his opening speech at the meeting, which includes his counterparts from Russia, Iran and the South Caucasus nations of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The South Caucasus platform serves as a consultative ground aimed at establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus and evaluating cooperation opportunities, he added.

Fidan said the idea of establishing the platform emerged in the weeks after Nov. 9, 2020, when a trilateral statement was signed establishing a ceasefire in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, in which Azerbaijan liberated much of the long-occupied region of Karabakh.

The platform’s primary goal is to respond to the need for a forum where all issues closely related to the South Caucasus can be addressed, he said.