MOSCOW, November 22./TASS/. The situation around the Sea of Azov is interesting for the West only as a reason for tightening sanctions against Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said in an interview with the Kommersant daily issues on Thursday.

"Actually, the situation in that region is not of special interest for our so-called Western partners. A new reason for attacks on Russia and a pretext for tightening anti-Russian sanctions is all that is important for them," the diplomat said.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said on November 19 after a session of the EU Council in Brussels that the foreign ministers of the 28 EU member states expressed their concern over the situation in the Sea of Azov and discussed taking relevant ‘targeted measures.’

"But today is also an opportunity to express … our preoccupation over activities in the Azov Sea, which are damaging not only the Ukrainian economy, but also so many vessels that are flying European Union Member States' flags," she said.

"So these are issues on which we will continue to work with full determination from all our Member States and obviously the European Union institutions and services, including taking appropriate targeted measures in the coming weeks or days," Mogherini said.

According to the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Brussels will announce these measures after they are officially prepared by the European Commission.