MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Western countries endeavored to prevent flights of the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot to Mauritius, Russian Ambassador in Port Louis Konstantin Klimovsky told TASS in an interview.

"The United States, the United Kingdom and certain European Union member-nations are attempting on a going basis to apply pressure on Global South countries for the purpose of preventing the normal evolution of their equal relations with Russia," the Ambassador said. "One of the latest examples is exactly the recent flights of Aeroflot here," Klimovsky noted. "At that time, our Western foes, using certain levers, did everything possible throughout the three-month flight program to hinder normal operations of receiving and servicing Aeroflot flights in the local airport," he added.

Mutually beneficial cooperation in the air service sphere got a new impetus for development only by joint efforts of the two sides, the Ambassador stressed.

The Western countries "stoop to nothing" in order to prevent other countries from developing relations with Russia, the diplomat said. "Carrots and sticks are used, and they often resort to outright blackmail," he added.