Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concerns that there might be an attempt, facilitated through Armenia, to further the interests of NATO countries in the South Caucasus. This statement came after a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

Sergey Lavrov said: “As for the heating up of anti-Russian sentiments, it is done artificially to a decisive extent. We know about many NGOs created in Armenia in recent years; they were not few before as well. These organizations are not created to promote friendly relations between Armenia and the Russian Federation; precisely the opposite. They aim to create the ground for anti-Russian sentiments and advance, through Armenia, the interests of the United States, the European Union, and NATO countries in this region. We see those attempts; they achieve some results.

Lavrov emphasized that Russia firmly believes that most Armenian people are interested in developing strong, traditional, and brotherly relations with Russia.

“I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a day or two ago, [Prime Minister of Armenia] Nikol Pashinyan gave a press conference, an interview, and in it, he clearly said that Armenia is not changing its geopolitical vector. Let's hope this position will prevail despite the attempts to take Yerevan in another direction,” the Russian FM added.

It's important to note that Armenia is participating in the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of the CIS countries in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, with a delegation led by a deputy foreign minister. 

The Russian presidential aide on foreign policy, Yuri Ushakov, noted that the Kremlin is aware of the reasons for Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s absence at the CIS summit in Kyrgyzstan. The meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS countries is scheduled to take place on Friday, and the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will participate in it.

When confronted with Russia’s accusation that the United States is interfering in the South Caucasus for geopolitical ambitions and destabilizing the situation, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller rejected the claim by stating, “Well, that’s absolutely not true. Our only goal in the South Caucasus, in the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is to ensure a lasting peace and stability and, of course, to ensure that the humanitarian needs and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are protected.”