Russian Security Official Shoigu Says West Seeks to Exploit South Caucasus Resources

Sergey Shoigu, a senior Russian security official, said that Western countries are primarily interested in exploiting the resources of the South Caucasus region, according to a report published by Russian state news agency TASS.

The remarks were made in the context of broader comments on Western plans for the South Caucasus and the ongoing crisis in Armenia, TASS reported, without providing further specifics of the address or the venue in which the comments were made.

Shoigu currently serves as secretary of Russia's Security Council, a body that advises the Russian president on national security matters, though TASS's excerpt did not specify his exact title in this instance.

TASS did not provide additional details in the excerpted material regarding what specific Western plans Shoigu was referring to, nor did it elaborate on the nature of the Armenia crisis he addressed.

Russia has historically maintained close ties with countries in the South Caucasus, a region encompassing Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and has previously expressed concerns over increased Western engagement there.

This report is based on a brief excerpt from TASS. Further details of Shoigu's full remarks were not immediately available.