Yerevan /Mediamax/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that “official Yerevan, yielding to the persuasions of the West, is trying to reshape its foreign policy line.”

“Armenia is swapping its time-tested alliance with Moscow, not even for specific Western assistance, but only for vague assurances. To justify the course of strategic pivot, they are trying to blame Russia for all the troubles, including the loss of Karabakh. Armenia has been and remains a strategic partner for us in the South Caucasus. We are convinced that all difficulties are temporary and will be overcome if there is political will,” Lavrov said in an interview with TASS.

“Armenia is now facing a series of challenges. However, addressing them with the help of Western players is not feasible. Unlike Russia, the US and the EU do not seek to bring peace and stability to Armenia and the South Caucasus as a whole. Their task is to squeeze Moscow and other regional players and create a new hotbed of tension. The way out of the difficult situation is obvious - to fulfill the trilateral agreements of Yerevan, Baku and Moscow.

We believe that it is harmful to speculate on the expediency of the 102nd Russian military base on the territory of Armenia. The agreement on its deployment there was concluded on March 16, 1995, based primarily on national interests and the common task of our states to strengthen stability in the South Caucasus. Today, our military is a key element in ensuring peace in that region.

Yerevan has recently been developing cooperation with NATO and its separate member states. This year Armenia has participated in several dozen events with the alliance. It continues to modernize its armed forces according to NATO standards, its military are being trained in a number of North Atlantic bloc states.

This is a cause of serious concern for us. We have repeatedly drawn the attention of our Armenian colleagues that the true goal of the NATO members is to strengthen their positions in the region.

I hope that Yerevan is aware that deepening cooperation with the alliance leads to the loss of sovereignty in the national defense and security sector,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.