This is a Principle of 'Divide and Conquer' – Lavrov

The European Union is also active and trying to develop its mechanisms in the South Caucasus and Central Asia regions. According to Lavrov, no one can prohibit anyone from developing relations with any country in the world, but this should not be a zero-sum game.

“One cannot come and say, ‘We can offer you interesting projects, but you need to stop communicating with another party,’” said Lavrov. He noted that this is a principle that has been known since ancient times as 'divide and conquer.' According to the minister, this principle contains no democratic element.