Putin stresses the importance of dialogue on Nagorno-Karabakh
By Viktoria Sokolova

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 15, 2004 Wednesday

ASTANA, September 15 — Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia should continue a dialogue
on Nagorno-Karabakh. “No matter what agreements you reach today,
personal meetings are always a step forward,” President Putin said on
Wednesday, opening a trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Putin praised Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliev and his Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharyan for their determination to search for a
settlement to the Karabakh problem. “I am very pleased to note that
you are going ahead with the dialogue despite the complex nature
of this problem. Preserving a high-level dialogue is important,”
the Russian president stressed.

Putin also said that he was sure that the meeting would be useful
for finding a solution to the Karabakh conflict.