Russia Not Interested in Escalation of Tensions in the South Caucasus, Shoigu Tells Azerbaijani Defense Minister

Russia is not interested in the escalation of tensions in the South Caucasus, and its actions are not directed against third countries in the region, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov, according to TASS news agency.

“We know and are closely monitoring the events occurring at the border with Armenia. We are also aware of the concerns related to the flights being carried out by our military base. I want to state right away that our actions have never been directed, and are not now directed, against Azerbaijan, our neighbor and partner. Russia is not interested in the aggravation of the situation in the South Caucasus,” said Shoigu.

He noted that Russia is engaged in the construction of social infrastructure at its military base in Armenia. “This is what accounts for certain activity. And the second part is the issue of conscription: someone needs to be sent home, while the other one goes in the opposite direction,” the Russian minister emphasized.

He further informed that Russia and Azerbaijan will return to their previous pace of cooperation this year or next year, which had decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic.