Strasbourg, 11/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative Catherine Ashton issued a call on Friday 8 June for Armenia and Azerbaijan to strictly respect the ceasefire and exercise restraint both on the ground and in public statements in order to prevent a further escalation of the situation, which has been deteriorating over the last several months, her spokesperson said in a press release. Ashton is “very concerned” at the reported serious armed incidents on 4, 5 and 6 June along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Line of Contact in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, incidents which have resulted in the deaths of at least eight people. “Threat or use of force as well as the status quo do not contribute to a resolution of the persisting conflict”, Ashton said. “These incidents highlight the importance of a functioning incident investigation mechanism as proposed by the OSCE. Moreover, they reinforce the need for progress in the negotiation process”, stated the spokesperson, going on to say that Ashton urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to “step up their efforts to reach agreement on the Madrid principles, as a basis for peace, and to fully implement the commitments made by their presidents in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group”. (CG/transl.rt)