MINSK, November 3. /TASS/. Provoking domestic and international armed conflicts has become a tool of economic manipulation that benefits a select few and generates windfall profits, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Secretary General Sergey Lebedev said.

"Provoking armed conflicts thus becomes a tool of economic manipulation, generating windfall profits for a select few while causing suffering and poverty for millions of people," he said at the Fourth Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

He drew attention to the consequences of developments in the Middle East, which have destabilized the energy market. "The link between the deteriorating security situation and the benefits certain groups derive from high volatility in hydrocarbon prices is becoming increasingly evident," Lebedev stressed.