Zakharova: Moscow notes Washington`s attempts to interfere in the  process of unblocking communications in the South Caucasus

ArmInfo. Moscow notes Washington's attempts to interfere in the process of unblocking communications in the South Caucasus, as stated by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry,  during a weekly briefing on July 24.

 "The Americans are directly saying that they supposedly have a  unique vision of the solution to the issue.  However,  they cannot  offer anything new that would go beyond the agreements already  reached within the framework of the specialized trilateral working  group co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Armenia and  Azerbaijan. There is a certain slyness here," she emphasized,  touching upon the talks  about the American mediation. 

Speaking about Western mediation efforts, Zakharova expressed the  conviction that signals from Western capitals should be viewed in a  different light. "In words, everything seems to be going smoothly.  But, you need to see the essence. And the essence is this: under good  intentions is hidden a purely personal opportunistic task - to take  the process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani  relations out  of the regional context, when two South Caucasian republics are  trying to come to constructive, consensus decisions independently,  with the support of their closest neighbors," the diplomat noted.   According to her, the West aims to shift the reconciliation process  to its side to earn political points. "In fact, this can lead to a  security imbalance in the region and a violation of the principle of  regional self- sufficiency, when the issues of the South Caucasus are  dealt with directly by the countries bordering them," the  representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry continued.  She also  mentioned that Moscow has consistently expressed its interest in a  stable, secure, prosperous and peaceful South Caucasus. Zakharova  emphasized that one of the necessary conditions for this is the long-  awaited reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan. She highlighted the  Russian side's efforts to facilitate the normalization of  Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. "At a certain point, Baku and Yerevan  chose to engage in direct dialogue and we respect this decision.  After all, we are talking about the fact that ultimately they will  need to negotiate and coexist as neighborhs. Therefore, if they have  found a way for direct dialogue, yes - this is their choice," the  Russian diplomat said. She also recalled that the Russian side has  also stated its readiness to provide the required assistance across  the entire spectrum of the normalization process. According to her,  Moscow was also ready to provide a platform for consultations and the  signing of a peace treaty.