Development of Russian-Turkish political and economic cooperation wiill not harm the interests of Moscow’s allies, in particular Armenia, said Director of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies (RISS) Leonid Reshetnikov.

Russia is interested in political and economic cooperation with Turkey and will keep developing it. However, Russia will by no means expand its relations with Turkey to the detriment of Armenia’s interests, Reshetnikov said. According to him, Turkey itself does not put forward Armenia-related issues on the agenda of Moscow-Ankara talks.

Reshetnikov restated that Armenia is Russia’s important ally - not only in the South Caucasus but also in the the Middle East. “It is an explosive and problematic region where hostilities may still break out, involving the entire world. There is not another region like this on the global map now,” he said. Therefore, Russia does not want foreign military presence in the region to increase as it might jeopardize stability.

Roundtable discussions on the Russian-Armenian cooperation and regional problems with the participation of Armenian and Russian experts and representatives of political circles were held in Yerevan.