MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. The three Baltic countries pursue a highly destructive policy in the South Caucasus, doing their best to get Armenia to pivot away from Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Andrey Nastasyin said.

"As for the South Caucasus, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius pursue a highly destructive policy there," he noted at a briefing. "They are doing their best to turn Armenia away from Russia and distance it from our common integration mechanisms, including the Collective Security Treaty Organization, using Euro-Atlantic prospects as bait," Nastasyin added.

The Russian diplomat pointed out that "officials from the Baltic nations are actively trying to impose their ‘expertise’ on Yerevan when it comes to diversifying foreign policy goals on the path of European integration."

"Such approaches expose the persistent desire of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, who are dutifully following instructions from Washington, to actively set other former Soviet countries against Russia," Nastasyin noted.

The diplomat went on to say that the Armenian people were unlikely to be willing to experience the consequences of social and economic difficulties like the ones that the Baltic countries had to face as they had long lost all independence. "They can boast nothing like the record growth that Armenia has been enjoying as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union," he emphasized.