In a weekly press briefing on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova responded to the Armenian Foreign Ministry's criticism of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent statements. Zakharova accused Yerevan of deflecting blame for its own strategic missteps onto others, particularly Russia.

Zakharova referenced the trilateral statement signed by Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, specifically highlighting the provisions regarding unblocking regional economic and transport communications. She emphasized that substantial progress had been made within the framework of a tripartite working group, co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which had met 12 times.

Despite this progress, Zakharova noted that final agreements on starting railway communication had not been reached due to Armenia’s insistence on reciprocity in border control, a departure from previously agreed positions. She criticized Armenia for demanding that Russian border guards be present not only on Armenian territory but also on Azerbaijani territory, which she described as a deviation from the original terms of the agreement.

Russian FM Spokesperson criticized Armenia for refusing to agree on the control of transport communications via the Russian FSB border service. Zakharova claimed that Armenia also avoided committing to launch dates for the automobile route between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, effectively freezing joint efforts in the tripartite working group involving Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

Zakharova argued that this reluctance stems from Armenia’s growing alignment with Western countries, which she said has led Yerevan to miss opportunities to enhance its economy and normalize regional relations through projects like the “Crossroads of Peace.” She reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the trilateral agreements made between 2020 and 2022, emphasizing that these agreements remain the only viable path to achieving peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

She concluded: “We call on the authorities of Yerevan not to allow the West to spoil the long-term efforts to establish sustainable peace in Transcaucasia. This is especially urgent, taking into account the obsession of the USA and the EU, imbued with the idea of pushing Russia out of the South Caucasus and driving a wedge in our relations with Armenia and other countries of the region.”