"There is hope here, but questions remain, and talks on this matter will be continued between Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharyan," Sergei Lavrov told journalists.

According to RIA Novosti, he said that the two heads of state would attend a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which unites six former Soviet republics, in the Belarusian capital next week.

"Russia, as a participant of the OSCE Minsk Group [which also comprises the U.S. and France], is trying to contribute to achieving an agreement between the sides, but a settlement can be reached only on a mutually acceptable basis," Lavrov said.

The minister also said Putin and Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev had common understanding of processes in the former Soviet Union.

Russia's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, said May 31 that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be resolved by the two countries themselves and not by third parties. He added peacekeepers could be deployed in the conflict zone.

The Russian minister's remarks came a day after Armenia and Azerbaijan both claimed fatalities following a shootout between soldiers on the border near Nagorno Karabakh and accused each other of breaching a 1994 ceasefire agreement.