Russia wants to work fully with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at Thursday’s live Q & A session.

In his words, Russia is interested in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and a respective mutual concession needs to be found.

“A few years ago it seemed to me that we are close to this mutual concession, but it turned out [to be] not so,” Putin added. 

He noted that Russia is doing its best to resolve this conflict and to find an option that is acceptable to the two conflicting parties—i.e. the Armenian and the Azerbaijani.

The Russian president stated that a mutual concession needs to be found in the long run, and solely through political means.

As per Putin, Russia is interested in the resolution of this matter, since it has “friendly relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan alike,” and it will contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

But, according to the Russian president, the final decision is left to the two conflicting parties.