Moscow-Sana
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed today that the attempts to internationalize the conflict in the Nagorno Karabakh region and to involve terrorist mercenaries from Middle Eastern countries "are of concern to Russia."
Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian Kommersant newspaper, "We have invited external players several times to use their capabilities to prevent the transfer of mercenaries, whose number approaches in the conflict zone, according to the information we have from two thousand."
The Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced yesterday that there are new “conclusive evidence” that the Turkish regime has recruited and transferred mercenaries from Syria to Azerbaijan to participate in the battles in the Karabakh region, explaining that “the evidence indicates the existence of an international criminal network and cannot continue to be uncovered without consequences".
On the other hand, Lavrov criticized the West’s continuous attempts to discredit Russia in the Balkans with the aim of realizing geopolitical plans and ambitions.
Lavrov pointed out that Western countries are trying to camouflage their “hideous plans” in the western Balkans by accusing Moscow of “possessing harmful influence” in the region, stressing that these accusations are baseless and not based on any facts, but rather depend on an “empty guesswork logic”.
Lavrov explained that Russia has wide and transparent relations with all the countries of the Balkan region, with full compliance with the rules of international law, considering that these relations “represent an obstacle to achieving the selfish interests of a number of international players who want to turn this part of Europe into a geopolitical confrontation arena.”
In addition, Lavrov expressed his country's support for the initiative of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko regarding constitutional amendments in Belarus, stressing that no one should interfere in this process.
Lavrov explained that Lukashenko’s initiative achieves a required platform for national dialogue in Belarus, noting that “Russia is betting on the Belarusian people and the Belarusian state, which is Russia's strategic ally and partner.”
On the presidential elections in the United States that began today, Lavrov expressed Russia's readiness to cooperate with any future American president and that it respects the choice of the American people.
Lavrov pointed out that, given the current circumstances, Moscow "realistically assesses the prospects for bilateral cooperation and does not raise expectations."