Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan in Ramsar

As tensions continue between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the fourth round of talks among the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan was held on Tuesday in Ramsar, Iran. In this meeting, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and Elmar Mammadyarov discussed trilateral issues, combating terrorism and extremism, and goods transit. The Iranian foreign minister emphasized in a separate meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart that all efforts must be made to avoid exacerbating existing problems and crises in the region. Mr. Zarif also stated to the news network that Iran's goal is to end the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Habib Hosseini-Fard, a regional affairs analyst, told Radio Farda that given the foreign policies of both countries, it seems difficult for Turkey and Iran to play a neutral role in the current crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the end of the trilateral meeting, a statement was released emphasizing the strengthening of cooperation among the three countries within the framework of regional organizations, including the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The statement also reiterated the commitment to establishing a belt of peace, stability, security, prosperity, and greater regional cooperation in all areas, called for a rapid peaceful resolution of the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute based on international law, and welcomed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).