I will not make forecasts, however there is progress in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict at the turn of the year 2005," Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said during a news conference in Moscow. He remarked that within the past months the work to settle the conflict considerably intensified, specifically the Armenian and Azeri presidents hold periodical meetings, the MG co-chairs also meet periodically.

At the CIS Summit in Kazan, the Russian FM reminded, President Vladimir Putin assisted in search for a formula to settle the issue. New contacts between the Armenian and Azeri presidents are expected in coming weeks, Sergey Lavrov reported. In his opinion, "an urge to move forward to settle the Karabakh conflict is felt," reported IA Regnum.