The Kremlin says French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement accusing Russia of exploiting the Karabakh conflict to reestablish its presence in the South Caucasus and to weaken Armenia is "unacceptable and scandalous."

Macron made the statement during an interview with France 2 TV.

Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova issued the following response today.

We consider E. Macron's statements that Russia is allegedly using the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to destabilize the South Caucasus as scandalous and unacceptable. 

Such attacks are in line with the West's anti-Russian line of demonizing Russia and testify to attempts to transfer the logic of confrontation from Ukraine to other parts of the post-Soviet space, including the South Caucasus. The absurd fabrications of the French President speak of Paris' disinterest in establishing lasting peace in the region and call into question his country's ability to play a constructive role there.

Unlike France, which even during periods of exacerbation between Baku and Yerevan limited itself to standard calls for peace, Russia in practical terms contributed to the settlement of the conflict. Our country has made a decisive contribution to the signing of the trilateral statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia of November 9, 2020, which put an end to the bloodshed. 

The peacekeeping contingent deployed in accordance with the said agreement remains the guarantor of security in the region. Peacekeepers effectively prevent incidents in their area of ​​responsibility, help establish a peaceful life - deliver humanitarian aid, restore infrastructure. With their assistance, 53,000 refugees returned home, more than 2,000 bodies of the dead were handed over, a total of 146 detainees were returned, and more than 25,000 explosive objects were defused.

It is Russia that launched work on the comprehensive normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. With Russian participation, active efforts continue to promote the peace agenda based on the statements of the leaders of the three countries on November 9, 2020, January 11, and November 26, 2021. Steps are being taken to unblock all economic and transport ties in the South Caucasus, to delimit the Armenian- the Azerbaijani border, the conclusion of a peace treaty, the establishment of a dialogue between the public and experts.

Paris's attempts to drive a wedge into Russia's relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are close to us, with which Russia is united by long-term and multifaceted ties, are doomed to failure, and will only lead to the further devaluation of France's authority in the region.