Nothing but destabilization in South Caucasus should be expected from EU mission in Armenia – Russia MFA 

Nothing but destabilization in the South Caucasus and the transformation of the region into an arena of geopolitical rivalry should be expected from the EU mission in Armenia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a press briefing when asked whether Russia had notified France that it suspected the EU observers of espionage.

According to Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry has not notified France of its suspicions of espionage under the guise of the monitoring mission, but Russia has publicly and openly spoken about its negative attitude toward the EU mission in Armenia.

“We have repeatedly commented on the confrontational nature of the EU paramilitary presence on Armenian territory. There is no need to look anywhere for proof. It is obvious. The anti-Russian, anti-Azerbaijani, and anti-Iranian goals of this mission are becoming more and more evident. It became even clearer when NATO countries, which are not members of the EU, started to join it,” she said.

She noted that the region was already unstable, but there was a chance to stabilize the situation and resolve the years-long crisis to unblock all opportunities for humanitarian communication and economic development.

“All the chances were there. Painstaking work that began to yield results was underway. The West, which does not see this region as peaceful and safe, was not satisfied with this, of course,” Zakharova said.

The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry is convinced that all issues in the South Caucasus should and can be resolved with the collective efforts of regional countries, solely in their interests and without outside interference.