Russia: Macron’s Caucasus accusations are “flagrant, unacceptable”October 14, 2022 - 15:40 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The official representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has described French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks that Russia is using the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to destabilize the South Caucasus as “flagrant and absolutely unacceptable.” Macron earlier accused Russia of purposely provoking the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of an effort to destabilise the Caucasus region and beyond. “Such attacks are in line with the West's anti-Russian line of demonizing Russia and testify to attempts to transfer the logic of confrontation from Ukraine to other parts of the post-Soviet space, including the South Caucasus,” Zakharova said Thursday, October 13. “The absurd fabrications of the President of France speak of Paris' disinterest in establishing lasting peace in the region and call into question his country's ability to play a constructive role there.” Zakharova said attempts to drive a wedge into Russia's relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia are “doomed to failure and will only lead to further depreciation of France's authority in the region.” Speaking to France 2 television on Wednesday Macron said Moscow had stoked tensions in recent months in favour of Azerbaijan. "What's been happening on the border the last two years ... 5,000 Russian soldiers are allegedly there to guarantee the border, (but) the Russians have used this conflict which dated back several centuries and played Azerbaijan's game with Turkish complicity and came back to weaken Armenia which was once a country it was close to," Macron said. "You see what's happening? It's an effort by Russia to destabilise. It wants to create disorder in the Caucasus to destabilise all of us." Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |