Sharjah24 - AFP: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hopes for "normalisation" of ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan after he hosted talks with the rivals on Monday, reasserting Moscow's role as Caucasus powerbroker.
The talks were held as Western engagement grows in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia, distracted by its war in Ukraine, is palpably losing influence after decades of domination.
The initiative comes a month after the worst clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war in 2020.
"In our common opinion, it was a very useful meeting that created a very good atmosphere for possible future agreements," the Russian president told journalists.
"Russia will do everything to find a definitive and comprehensive settlement" of the conflict, he said, adding: "It is in everyone's interest to normalise relations.
"We will remain in contact and continue the dialogue and the search for the necessary solutions to put an end to this conflict," Putin said.
Ahead of the trilateral summit, Putin met the two visiting leaders, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, separately.
"The most important is to ensure peace and create conditions for development," he told Pashinyan.
Ahead of the meeting Pashinyan said Yerevan's priorities included Azerbaijani withdrawal from the areas in Karabakh controlled by Russian peacekeepers and the liberation of Armenian POWs.
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