Russia and other countries are prepared to work for a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, but they must not try to substitute for the parties to the conflict, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told a news conference in Istanbul on Tuesday.

“Russia and other participants in the process are prepared to lend a shoulder, but we cannot substitute for Armenia or Azerbaijan. Should we do, either party will be able to find faults with us,” he said. “I do not wish to give somebody a reason to say we put pressure on either side in the conflict,” ITAR TASS quoted Russian Prime Minister as saying.