Konstantin Dolgov: It is almost impossible to separate Armenia from Russia

Konstantin Dolgov, Russian Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, commented to Alpha News on Armenian-Russian relations as well as the role of the West in the South Caucasus region.

According to Dolgov, it is almost impossible to separate Armenia from Russia.

“Relations between Russia and Armenia go back centuries, and these are not only relations between states but also relations between peoples. This is the most fundamental factor that should not allow any forces that, unfortunately, exist in Armenia and beyond its borders to destabilize our relations or cause them any serious and long-term damage. We are allies.

Armenia is a member of the CSTO. Russian military personnel are deployed on the territory of Armenia and have very specific tasks. There is a dialogue between the leaders of our countries, and this dialogue allows us to address the problems and misunderstandings that arise. I believe that it is almost impossible to separate Armenia from Russia if we are talking about some kind of long-term process,” he noted.

He added that the West does not like that Russia has played and is playing a major stabilizing role in the South Caucasus.

“Millions of Armenians live in Russia. This is also a very crucial factor that objectively works to bring our countries closer together and to preserve a layer of friendly relations. However, certain forces in the United States and certain NATO forces in the West really don’t like this. They do not like that Russia has played and is playing a major stabilizing role in the South Caucasus. I am sure that the Caucasus would have been on fire long ago, if not for Russia, if not for our armed forces and military personnel, who sometimes, at the cost of their lives, ensure stability in the region.

Unfortunately, relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are quite complex and tense, that’s for sure. We have seen armed confrontation, which has happened more than once. This is a consequence of the long-standing problems. But if not for Russia, if not for our politically, militarily, and economically stabilizing role in the region, then the situation would have been much worse for a long time.

The West doesn’t like this, so it wants to push Russia out of the region, using certain Armenian politicians and public figures for this. But this is not the majority—this is definitely not the dominant part of either the officials of Armenia, or public opinion in Armenia, especially. However, unfortunately, there are such individual figures. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev is absolutely right when he says that the West is trying to hinder the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Western politicians don’t care at all. What matters to them is to play an anti-Russian role in various regions that are strategically important for world security,” Dolgov emphasized.