ArmInfo. US statements that Armenia wants to turn away from Russia are unfounded; the ties between Russia and Armenia that have been formed over centuries will withstand all the tests of strength that the West tirelessly subjects them to. This was stated to RIA Novosti by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
Earlier, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien essentially admitted that Washington is trying to create conditions for a break between Yerevan and Moscow. According to him, a significant part of the population of Armenia wants to distance itself from Russia, and the US is creating conditions for this.
"As for O'Brien's unfounded claims that Armenia wants to turn away from Russia, this is another example of geopolitical engineering inherent to the Americans - the desire to fabricate in the eyes of the world community the "reality" that Washington needs, which has nothing to do with what is actually happening," Zakharova said.
She noted that attempts to distort the state of affairs through opinion polls were visible quite recently in other countries in the region.
"O'Brien and company need to learn one simple thing. The ties between our countries that have been formed over centuries will withstand all the tests of strength that the West tirelessly subjects them to... Throughout history, we have repeatedly lent a shoulder to the brotherly Armenian people, and we intend to do so in the future," Zakharova noted.
She added that the US is trying to subjugate the system of state governance in the South Caucasus, control the resource base, and use the transit potential. "In an attempt to tear the South Caucasus republics, including Armenia, away from Russia, the US and its satellites in Europe are shamelessly interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Under good pretexts, they are trying to subjugate the system of state governance, concentrate control over the resource base, and use the transit potential," she said.
The official representative of the RA MFA noted that the West is promoting a destructive agenda in the South Caucasus, the goal of which is to fragment the region and destroy historical ties with Moscow. Commenting on O'Brien's words, Zakharova noted that "of course, such "sincere confessions" of high- ranking American officials responsible for foreign policy attracted our attention."
"However, they did not cause surprise, since O'Brien did not say anything new," she added. According to Zakharova, the American official "only signed up to what we regularly talk about and warn our partners, including in Yerevan, namely: the West is promoting a destructive agenda in the South Caucasus, the main goal of which is the same - to fragment the region's space, destroying Russia's historical ties with its traditional allies and neighbors."