West hinders normalisation of South Caucasus situation – Shoigu

The situation in the South Caucasus remains difficult, but there are prerequisites for its improvement, however, the West prevents it. This was stated by Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergey Shoigu on Thursday at a meeting of Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CIS countries in Moscow.

‘As for regional security in the South Caucasus, the situation remains difficult, but there are preconditions for its improvement. This is hindered by external players acting, to put it mildly, with disreputable goals, primarily Western countries,’ Shoigu said.

According to him, this only confirms the thesis that regional problems need regional solutions.

At the same time, Shoigu did not provide any evidence of the West's ‘malicious’ activities and his accusations sounded like unsubstantiated propaganda.

Shoigu also claimed that the West is losing economic, political and moral leadership and is ‘actually living in debt.’

Further, he gave a ‘profound’ assessment of the recent elections in Georgia and Moldova, saying that the West unceremoniously interfered in Georgia's electoral process but failed.

As for Moldova, the West was able to ensure the result of the Presidential election ‘only by blatant machinations’.