The Armenia-Azerbaijan borderIn another affront to the West, official Moscow accused the United States and its allies of playing “secret games” in the South Caucasus.

“Russia favors turning the South Caucasus into zone of peace and prosperity and not not going to compete with other forces,” Russian foreign ministry deputy communications director Ivan Nachaev said at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.

The statement was in response to a Russian reporters inquiry about reports circulating that the West is trying to exclude Russia in playing a role in the processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Moscow’s position that efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be based on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26 statements signed at the top level between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We are not against non-regional players joining the process, if they act within the framework of the mentioned agreements and contribute to their implementation. The important thing is to prevent duplication and ‘secret games’ in order to weaken a party or to put ‘nails in the wheels,’” added Nechaev.

“Unfortunately, he said, “we have come across such practices on the part of the EU and the U.S. more than once.”