Kremlin, on NATO chief’s South Caucasus, says bloc expansion will not help

The Kremlin, commenting on a visit by NATO head Jens Stoltenberg to the South Caucasus region, said on Tuesday that the bloc’s efforts to expand its presence in the area were unlikely to help bring stability.
Stoltenberg on Tuesday concluded a three-day visit during which he held talks with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, all of which were previously ruled from Moscow as part of the Soviet Union.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “NATO’s attempts to expand its influence and presence (in the South Caucasus) are unlikely to add to stability.”
Peskov said that the Kremlin was closely monitoring Stoltenberg’s visit, but that “such contacts are the sovereign right of the Caucasian states.”