Extra-regional forces are main threat to South Caucasus - Sergey Lavrov

The West is pursuing its interests in the South Caucasus, trying to interfere in the processes, which is a threat to the region. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 18 October at a press conference following the meeting of the 3+3 platform in Istanbul.

‘The most important threat to the South Caucasus is that the extra-regional players are trying to dictate their terms here, to introduce their schemes aimed not at settling the problems of the region in the interests of all the countries in it, but at promoting NATO-centric formats, developing block processes, at 'driving wedges’ between neighboring countries and using their capabilities as a lever of pressure,’ Lavrov said.

Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, he urged Baku and Yerevan to ‘use the 3+3 platform to finalize a peace treaty’.

‘We recalled the ‘billets’ created within the trilateral work of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan both at the level of presidents and foreign ministers, deputy foreign ministers and chairmen of governments and on unblocking communications, and on preparations for border delimitation, and on a number of other topics,’ Lavrov said.