Commenting on the preparations for the opening of the Russian Consulate General in Kapan, the administrative center of the Syunik region of Armenia, on the air of Sputnik Armenia radio, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin said that expansion of the Russian consular presence abroad and first of all, in the post-Soviet space is a line that the Russian Federation is currently pursuing. 

"I travel to Syunik quite often, I love this region. This time, the trip had a specific character, considering the tragic situation that has developed in connection with the exodus of the Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh. We perceive their pain as our own because our ties are very deep, long-lasting, and what the Armenian people are going through has always been perceived in Russia as something personal," the diplomat emphasized.

Speaking about the anti-Russian rhetoric in Armenia, the ambassador expressed bewilderment at the fact that people who accuse Russia of pursuing allegedly self-serving goals and anti-Armenian conspiracies do not see any logical contradiction between their words and what is actually happening. "It is enough to look at how the economic ties between the two countries are developing - the Russian-Armenian trade turnover last year amounted to $5 billion, and this year, it is growing even more rapidly, exceeding $4 billion in the first eight months," he added.

"The authors of contradictory statements regarding Armenian-Russian relations should provide clarifications so that everyone could understand," Kopyrkin noted, pointing out that this topic is important for the countries and peoples, and therefore it is desirable to have more clarity. "For Russia, the South Caucasus is part of our big house because, indeed, a lot depends on it, and it is a vital region for us. It is clear that Russia has its own interests, and it will realize and implement them, but I am absolutely convinced that one of the most important, key interests of the Russian Federation is that the region should be calm, that there should be no military escalation here, and that conditions should be created here so that the region could live a stable and economically fruitful life," the ambassador concluded.