Russia regularly talks about the negative attitude and confrontational nature of the so-called “EU monitoring mission in Armenia.” Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), stated this at Thursday’s press briefing—and in response to the question of an Azerbaijani reporter on how Russia assesses the EU's proposal to extend the activities of its monitoring mission on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border for two years.

"The anti-Azerbaijani, anti-Russian, anti-Iranian objectives of this mission are obvious. Moreover, NATO countries also are joining it. It is obvious that this is a geopolitical plan being used in order to strengthen the presence of the collective West in the region. For us, its objectives are clear: destabilization of the situation and its use against the peoples of the South Caucasus region," said Russian MFA spox.

Zakharova noted that nothing should be expected from the aforesaid EU monitoring mission except for the destabilization of the military and political situation and turning the South Caucasus into an arena of geopolitical competition.

"The EU [monitoring] mission [in Armenia] is a foreign body for the South Caucasus, and all urgent problems facing the region must be solved through collective efforts without external interference," said Russian MFA spox.

Zakharova shared the indignation of the Azerbaijani side, stressing that the decision to deploy the EU monitoring mission in Armenia was made without agreeing it with Azerbaijan.

"Why is the opinion of a regional player, who is not an external observer and who is interested in stability, not taken into account?" she asked.

The Russian MFA spox added that the EU uses Armenia as a tool to spread its influence and carries out intelligence activities in the region under the auspices of its monitoring mission.