MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Moscow is urging Yerevan not to be deceived by the West and lead Armenia astray, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement dedicated to the EU-US-Armenia high-level meeting.
Moscow considers "the EU-US-Armenia high-level meeting held in Brussels on April 5, 2024 as another attempt of the collective West to drag the South Caucasus into geopolitical confrontation" the ministry said.
"The extra-regional forces’ irresponsible and destructive interference in the South Caucasus, the urge to drive a wedge between the regional nations and their neighbors may have rather negative repercussions for stability, security and economic growth in the region, to trigger new dividing lines, as well as an uncontrolled escalation of tensions."
"Obviously, the West seeks to turn Armenia into a tool implementing their extremely dangerous schemes in the South Caucasus," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "We are aware that under ephemeral promises, Washington and Brussels seek Armenia’s exit from the CSTO and EAEU, the pullout of the Russian military base and border guards," the statement said.
"We are urging the leadership in Yerevan not to be deceived by the West and lead the country along a wrong path, fraught with creating a security vacuum, serious problems in the economy and the outflow of the population," the ministry said.
Pale in comparison
The aid in grants announced by Brussels "is pale in comparison with the multi-billion-dollar profits that Armenia is still obtaining owing to cooperation with Moscow and within the EAEU and CIS."
"These are the factors that in recent years have multiplied trade (a fourfold increase since 2018) and, consequently, led to a record high economic growth and better welfare of the population," the ministry said. "We reaffirm our willingness to comprehensively strengthen and expand relations with Armenia based on the principles enshrined in the fundamental bilateral documents and agreements within the framework of common integration assemblies."
Moscow is convinced that "steady progress of the Russian-Armenian cooperation will facilitate the implementation of the fundamental interests of the Russian and Armenian peoples and the enhancement of regional security and stability."
West demolishing foundation
The Russian Foreign Ministry said "the West has not abandoned the attempts to destroy the fundamental basis of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, namely a package of the 2020-2022 trilateral statements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which provides for the measures to relieve transport and economic ties, delimitate the border, draw up a peace treaty, and boost confidence through contact of public figures and experts."
"It was under Washington and Brussels’ pressure that official Yerevan suspended the implementation of the mentioned agreements, when the parties were close to mutually acceptable solutions on many of them, in particular, on lifting the reciprocal transport blockade," the statement said. "Moscow remains ready to offer any possible assistance so as to achieve long-awaited peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia."
Taking interests into account
The regional and bilateral problems in the South Caucasus "should be resolved in accordance with the principle of ‘regional responsibility’ adopted during the second meeting of the 3+3 consultative platform on October 23, 2023 in Tehran, where Armenia was also present."
"We urge external players to respect these agreements, and Yerevan to take into account the concerns of neighboring states when building their foreign policy," the ministry said.