Armenian-Russian relations are now becoming the object of wider  confrontation - Russian ambassador 

ArmInfo. Armenian-Russian relations are now becoming the object of wider confrontation - and  this is not hidden by the United States, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin said. 

In an interview with 24News, when asked to comment on the statement  of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the Armenian  leadership, "under far-fetched pretexts, distorting the history of  the last three years, is deliberately leading to the collapse of  relations with the Russian Federation," Kopyrkin stated that he is  the head of the Russian foreign policy departments, and knows what he  is saying.

"Therefore, here I would not give any additional comments to the  minister's words. I think that these words, as I assess them, are  truly a reflection of very deep concern about what is happening now  in our relations and concern for their fate. Because "We understand,  unfortunately, that our relations are now becoming the object of  wider confrontation. In general, this is not being hidden by the same  United States," Kopyrkin said.

According to the Russian ambassador, he has repeatedly mentioned  statements by US officials; in public statements they openly say that  the United States views relations with Armenia precisely in the  context of the confrontation with Russia and Iran.

"This is very bad, this is very dangerous. This is indeed something  that can cause real damage to our relations if there is not  sufficient political will on the Armenian side to defend that array  of our relations, which is very important for our peoples and for the  Republic of Armenia, and for ordinary people, Armenian families,"  Kopyrkin added.

At the same time, he pointed out the importance of not losing under  external pressure what unites Armenia and Russia, which is of vital  importance not only economically, but also socially, culturally,  psychologically, and, of course, in the sense security, maintaining  stability, prospects for the peaceful development of the region.  "Under the pressure of those interests that really have nothing to do  with the interests of the peoples of the region, the people who live  here and the interests of Russians, including Armenian Russians, but  also fundamentally contradict this," he said. 

When asked to clarify whether there are concerns in Moscow due to the  fact that "Armenia's foreign policy could turn the country into a  testing ground for the struggle between Russia and the West,"  Kopyrkin admitted that objectively the situation in this regard is  very alarming.

"Even the questions that you ask indicate that there really is  something here that we need to be very seriously concerned about and  think very seriously about. By the way, these signals, these  proposals invariably come from the Russian side that we must  trustfully, sincerely conduct this dialogue. And conduct this  dialogue not on a public plane, but precisely in such a way as to  resolve those issues, discuss those moments that cause mutual  misunderstanding so that our relations really remain the way they  should be, since these relations come from truly deep interests of  our countries and our peoples," the Russian diplomat said. 

Kopyrkin also thanked the Armenian people for the sincere sympathy  shown after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall  in the Moscow region.

"Here I can really say that this sincere sympathy, the warmth that we  felt, after all, tells us that, despite everything, after all, the  Armenian people, the Russian people, the Russian people, they are  really close, they have a lot in common, and even some events that  are happening in the political arena in the world, all the problems,  challenges that we face, it still doesn't kill this feeling," the  Russian Ambassador noted, adding that this suggests that everything  that unites both peoples is very deep.

The diplomat also noted that the President of the Republic of Armenia  came to the embassy to personally sign, in addition to telegrams of  condolences, which he, like the Prime Minister and the Minister of  Foreign Affairs, sent. "This is important. This is such a good, in my  opinion, both human and political gesture," the ambassador concluded.