MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Western countries are blackmailing Armenia with dirty methods and are turning the country against partnership with Russia, Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth CIS Department Denis Gonchar told TASS.

According to the diplomat, today Moscow and Yerevan have established "close foreign policy coordination" within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as at various international platforms, first of all at the UN.

"If we talk about some negative moments in relations with Yerevan, they are caused primarily by the constant attempts of Western countries to damage the Russian-Armenian partnership. They use all methods, including the dirtiest ones: sanctions blackmail, unfair competition, false promises," Gonchar pointed out.

He noted that everyone can "repeatedly see from examples in different parts of the world", including the post-Soviet space, "how Western 'friendship' turns out." "We count on the wisdom of our Armenian friends. For our part, we are determined, as before, to solve all problematic issues in an allied manner, within the framework of direct and open dialogue," the diplomat summed up.