Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as Moscow seeks to reassert its role as a key powerbroker between the Caucasus arch-foes, writes AFP.

The talks in Sochi will be held amid growing Western engagement in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia - distracted by its war in Ukraine - is visibly losing influence after decades of domination.

The initiative comes a month after the worst clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war in 2020.

Putin first held a face-to-face meeting with Pashinyan and was set to meet later Aliyev separately, before the three congregate for trilateral talks, Moscow said.

“The most important is to ensure peace and create conditions for development. I do hope very much, that we will be able today to make steps towards (the Karabakh conflict’s) settlement”, - he told Pashinyan.

Prime Minister of Armenia said Yerevan’s priorities included Azerbaijani withdrawal from the areas in Karabakh controlled by Russian peacekeepers and the liberation of Armenian POWs: “I thank you for the efforts you are making to establish peace, stability and security”.