Yerevan /Mediamax/. Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, Marina Kaljurand, the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Armenia, Andrey Kovatchev, and the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Željana Zovko issued a joint statement about the fight on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The statement in particular reads:

“We are seriously concerned by yesterday’s heavy fighting, which followed the recent increase in tension on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The military operation launched by Azerbaijan in response to alleged provocations amounts to the worst violation to-date of last year’s 9 November ceasefire agreement, leaving an as yet unconfirmed number of killed, wounded and captured soldiers. We urge the rapid de-escalation of the situation and welcome the engagement of European Council President and the reported Russian-mediated ceasefire.

We reiterate that any possible disagreements about the border must be addressed through negotiations in a border delimitation and demarcation process, not through the use of force and unilateral actions. We condemn any attempts at “borderisation”, as observed since the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on 12 May. We support and call for the opening of economic and transport connections as foreseen in the 9 November ceasefire agreement, which would be highly beneficial for the entire region. This includes the connection between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. To succeed, the parties should follow the text of the agreement and avoid a too extensive interpretation. Moreover, we are concerned by reports of hindered traffic on roads that connect Armenian towns and villages through Azerbaijani territory and believe that such behavior contradicts the spirit of this agreement and unduly hampers the lives of local citizens.”