The Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia discussed a wide range of issues bearing on international security cooperation, settlement of regional conflicts and coordination of joint efforts in the fight against terrorism.
Mr Putin recalled it was the fifth such meeting. But on this occasion it was being attended for the first time by Foreign Ministers. Such meetings always discuss important and vital issues for the region, the Russian head of state said.
In his view, bilateral contacts between the leaders of the Caucasian countries, particularly between the Presidents of Russia and Georgia, were of great significance for solving many regional problems. True, no bilateral meeting was held between the heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan today, the Russian President noted, but they had contacts on the fringes of the meeting. Mr Putin expressed hope that these discussions would help to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.