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West wants to use situation around Ukraine to push Russia out of South Caucasus — minister

Vladimir Kolokoltsev said that relations between the law enforcement agencies of Russia and Armenia have traditionally been characterized by mutual understanding and partnership both on international platforms and in bilateral cooperation

MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and told him that the West wants to take advantage of the situation around Ukraine to drive Russia out of the South Caucasus, the ministry said.

"The West wants to take advantage of the situation around Ukraine to push Russia out of the South Caucasus and ruin Russian-Armenian ties. The US and the EU are persistently offering their 'recipes' for reforming the key areas, including special services and law enforcement agencies, defense, and the judicial system. This state of affairs is chipping away at our alliance," he was quoted as saying by the ministry.

Kolokoltsev said that relations between the law enforcement agencies of Russia and Armenia have traditionally been characterized by mutual understanding and partnership both on international platforms and in bilateral cooperation. He also expressed readiness to cooperate with the Armenian Interior Ministry in various formats on the whole range of issues, the solution of which would help to strengthen security and stability in the region.

The minister said the high quality of preparatory work for the session of the joint meeting of the Internal Affairs ministries of the Russian Federation and Armenia, which plays an important consolidating role in the fight against modern criminal challenges and threats, makes it possible to update the ways, means and methods of confronting them. The decisions that were adopted at the joint meeting will have a positive impact on the interaction between the law enforcement agencies of the two countries.

Kolokoltsev said he’s convinced that the systemic approach and business-like atmosphere of such events make it possible to consider in detail the existing problematic issues, outline joint plans for their solution and combine efforts to ensure security, protection of citizens and protection of public order. The minister stressed the importance of further development of the Russian-Armenian dialogue in the law enforcement area and expressed confidence that the strengthening of alliance between Moscow and Yerevan meets the interests of the peoples and helps achieve the goals of ensuring peace and security in the region.

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