U.S. Department of State responds to Russian MFA rep

ArmInfo. The State Department on Thursday pushed back against Moscow's accusations against the Western policy in the South Caucasus saying that quotes from the Russian government officials "describe their own destabilizing activities in the region," as Spokesperson Matthew Miller put it, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Miller was responding to TURAN's questions about the latest comments made by Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova who earlier in the day accused Washington of 'promoting a destructive agenda in the South Caucasus.'

"We often hear these quotes from the Russian Government. I wonder who they're talking about, because the quotes that you hear from them describe Russia's own destabilizing activities in the region.  It is - and I would remind the entire world that it is Russia that has invaded its neighbors, that it has occupied its neighbor's territory and continues to conduct war against its neighbors," Miller stated.

Russian government outlets quoted Zakharova Thursday morning as rejecting senior U.S. officials' recent statements on South Caucasus countries, namely Armenia. According to her, the West "is promoting a destructive agenda in the South Caucasus, with the main goal of fragmenting the region and destroying Russia's historical ties with its traditional allies and neighbors."