Mikhail Kalugin said outside actors were seeking to weaken the region’s ties with Russia, Iran and China, while its international links continue to expand.
On October 6, outside actors were seeking a foothold in the South Caucasus and trying to reduce the region’s countries’ interaction with Russia, Iran and China, Mikhail Kalugin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth Department for CIS Countries, told RIA Novosti.
Kalugin said such efforts should not be described as diversification. In his view, the West cannot replace Russia as either a security guarantor or an economic partner in the region.
The diplomat also said the South Caucasus was changing, with broader international ties and greater agency. He warned that the region should not become a “chessboard” for outside powers and said dividing it into spheres of influence would lead nowhere.
RIA Novosti said the full interview was due to be published on its website at 10 p.m. Moscow time.