On Thursday 22 June, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called for tension to be calmed and for restraint with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh, as violations of the ceasefire have resulted in the death of several soldiers on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides since mid-June.
"The European Union expects de-escalation and restraint in deeds as well as in words", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release, adding that these fatalities on the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone "are a stark reminder that the status quo is unsustainable".
The EEAS spokesperson added that the EU fully supports the efforts of the Minsk Group co-chairs and joins their appeal of 19 June for immediate consideration of measures to reduce tensions in the conflict zone and at the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as re-engagement of the parties in negotiations "on substance, in good faith and with the necessary political will". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)