MOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) - The Armenian and Azeri leaders will meet next month to discuss the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since Armenia's change of president, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

Armenian-backed separatists control the mountainous area but shootouts break out between Azeri and Armenian forces along the border.

The two former Soviet states fought a war in the early 1990s which killed thousands and forced thousands more to flee.

Armenia's foreign minister, Edward Nalbandyan, announced there would be talks after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

"This meeting will be on June 6 in St Petersburg. We hope it will be positive," he said.

An informal meeting of leaders from former Soviet states is scheduled for St Petersburg around the time of the International Economic Forum between June 6 and 8.

Armenia's new president, Serzh Sarksyan, won an election in February. He had previously been prime minister.

The two countries' presidents do meet to discuss the area but this will be the first time Sarksyan has met Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. (Writing by James Kilner)

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