Moscow registers a persistent intent of the West to intervene in its formats of interaction with Baku and Yerevan and push Russia out of Transcaucasia, says Denis Gonchar, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth CIS Department Denis Gonchar.
"We continue to register their persistent intent to wedge themselves into our trilateral formats with Azerbaijan and Armenia. However Brussels and Washington may try to present it as something else, behind it is the desire to push Russia from Transcaucasia, and not to actually and honestly help in ensuring peace and stability in the region. It is indicative that Washington and Brussels are afraid to even mention Russia in a positive light and to acknowledge the key importance of the trilateral agreements for normalization of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations," the diplomat noted.
According to the senior diplomat, this is how Russia perceives the operation of the temporary EU monitoring mission in Armenia, as well as the "attempts to organize the OSCE mission to the region in circumvention of the consensus rule."
Meanwhile, Gonchar noted that it were Russian peacekeepers who made it possible to stop the September escalation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
"A number of steps were taken within the CSTO under Armenia’s request, including the convention of the emergency session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, dispatching of CSTO Secretary General and head of the Joint Staff for assessment of the situation on the ground, and consideration of sending a CSTO monitoring mission to Armenia’s border regions. The situation at the border was discussed in substance during the November 23 annual meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council," Gonchar said.
He also noted that, should the Armenian side be interested, the necessary decision to send the CSTO mission will be made promptly.
"With an understanding that the majority of CSTO states see the long-term settlement of border problems between Baku and Yerevan through implementation of the trilateral agreements of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the launch of practical and rhythmical work of the border demarcation commission," the diplomat noted.
