Yerevan /Mediamax/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on “the processes taking place around Armenia and Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization.”

“We cannot but be concerned about the alarming trends that are gaining momentum in the South Caucasus, where the West is clearly trying to transfer the confrontation schemes worked out in Ukraine. We can see what unprecedented pressure from the outside is being exerted on brotherly Armenia. Steps are taken to discredit Russia’s policy in the region in an attempt to damage centuries-old ties between our countries and peoples. Numerous foundations, NGOs and media outlets from Washington and Brussels have been redoubling their efforts to sow anti-Russian sentiments in society,” Zakharova said.

She also expressed confidence that “attempts by outside forces to split Moscow and Yerevan will not succeed” and noted that “Russia is disposed to strengthen its strategic alliance and multifaceted cooperation with Armenia, which will enable us to jointly overcome current challenges.”

“The unceremonious approach of the West can also be traced with regard to the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Neither regional specifics nor special sensitivity of the problem are taken into account. The real goal of Washington and Brussels is not to work out compromise and balanced solutions, but self-PR and pushing Russia out of Transcaucasia.

Our trilateral achievements are being appropriated and perverted. Visits to Armenia by Western emissaries under the guise of the European Union, the OSCE and France are increasing. Hastily concocted initiatives are being promoted without taking into account the interests of the entire population of the region. This is fraught with the risk of breaking the balance that was achieved in difficult conditions on the basis of the agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020.

In parallel, unfounded accusations are circulated that Moscow is allegedly not fulfilling its security commitments towards Armenia. In that connection, we would like to recall that it was our country that stopped the war in November 2020, sent the peacekeepers who brought peace and stability to the region, and to this day makes a decisive contribution to the settlement of armed incidents between Baku and Yerevan. Attempts of external forces to withdraw the Russian peacekeeping contingent are aimed at destabilizing the South Caucasus,” Zakharova said.