Russia: EU's Armenia mission can only bring confrontation
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the European Union's civilian mission in Armenia "can only bring geopolitical confrontation to the region and exacerbate existing contradictions." The EU said the goal of the mission is to "contribute to stability" in the region and help normalize the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Attempts by the European Union to gain a foothold in Armenia at any cost, to push back Russia's mediation efforts are capable of harming the fundamental interests of Armenians and Azerbaijanis in their aspirations to return to the peaceful development of the region," the ministry said, adding that "the key factor for stability and security in the region" remains Russia's peacekeeping contingent established in 2020, which will "react to the behavior of the EU observers."