The European Union is following closely the worrying developments along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. On my behalf, Secretary General of the European External Action Service Stefano Sannino, spoke to Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian on Thursday and to Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov this Friday, calling on both sides to exercise the utmost restraint and de-escalate the situation. EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar has also been in contact with the OSCE Chairmanship in Office.

Border delimitation and demarcation must be resolved through negotiations, for the benefit of the security of the local populations. We welcome ongoing contacts at the technical level between the two sides.

The EU continues to support a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and encourages both countries to find peaceful solutions preserving stability in the region.