ArmInfo. Moscow did not notify anyone through closed diplomatic channels about the need to end the activities of the EU civil mission in Armenia; it declares it at once and publicly. Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated during a weekly briefing on June 7, in response to an Azerbaijani journalist asking whether Moscow had notified France about the need to curtail the activities of the EU civil mission in Armenia. "I have no doubt that French diplomats in Russia not only go to restaurants, but also sometimes do work. Although, they limited themselves for that.
Well, actually, it was precisely because we had suspicions about the quality of their work that we immediately and publicly began to talk about our negative attitude towards the aforementioned EU mission in Armenia. We have repeatedly commented on the confrontational nature of this paramilitary presence of the EU on Armenian territory," Zakharova said. At the same time, she is confident that there is no need to look for evidence of the abovementioned, since everything is already obvious. According to Zakharova, the anti-Russian, anti-Azerbaijani, anti-Iranian goals of this mission are increasingly obvious. "And even more so when NATO countries began to join it, everything became clear to everyone. Nothing but destabilization of the military-political situation and turning the region into another arena of geopolitical rivalry should be expected from such EU initiatives," she said. According to her, such a chance to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus has appeared, specific work has begun in the relevant direction, which the EU did not like, as it does not see this region as peaceful, and that is why this mission appeared there.
"We are confident that all the pressing issues facing the Transcaucasus should and can be resolved on the basis of collective efforts of the regional states, exclusively in the interests of the countries located here, without outside interference," she summed up.
Russia has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with the deployment of the EU civilian mission in Armenia.