Azernews.Az

The European Union is concerned about the clashes on the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan said last Friday.

``The European Union is concerned about the increased tension on the Line of Contact, about the casualties, and all we can do is try to encourage people to go to the negotiating table rather than use military power in order to shoot at each other,`` Roland Kobia told journalists.

Five Azerbaijani soldiers were killed on June 5 in shoot-outs between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, a day after three Armenian soldiers were reported killed in a skirmish.

According to Kobia, the EU is proposing to try to carry out confidence building measures between the people in an effort to facilitate a peaceful conflict settlement.

The UN expressed regret over the worsening situation on the troops` contact line.

``Soldiers have been killed for 20 years,`` UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Fikret Akcura said. ``Refugees and internally displaced people are facing problems.``

Akcura expressed hope that the efforts of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group and Azerbaijan`s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council will provide an opportunity to accelerate a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan has intensified efforts in this area thanks to the UNSC membership, he said. Azerbaijan`s ambassador to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev has sent a letter to the secretary general expressing Baku`s aggravation over the tense situation on the frontline.

Russia has also said it was concerned over the escalation of tension around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

``We consider unacceptable further escalation of the conflict and will continue assisting the parties to find ways for a peaceful conflict resolution,`` Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich was quoted by Russia 24 TV channel as saying.

Lukashevich said Moscow hopes that the June 18 meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Paris would defuse the tensions and help move forward in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, as well as agree on principles that would form the basis of a comprehensive peace agreement.

Lukashevich said Russia proceeds from the premise that the conflict parties should adhere to the standing ceasefire. Incidents such as those that recently occurred on the contact line lead to a collapse of previous agreements and complicate peace talks, he said.

``We urge the parties to continue efforts aiming to achieve a conflict resolution by peaceful means based on the principles of non-use of force, respect for territorial integrity and the right to self-determination of nations,`` Lukashevich said.

He also said the format of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group works properly and remains a basic element of the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, as noted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her tour of South Caucasus countries.

The U.S. and France, which co-chair the Minsk Group along with Russia, also expressed their concern over the deadly frontline clashes.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces headquarters has issued a statement over the latest skirmishes, saying Azerbaijan`s military is capable of freeing the country`s territory from Armenian occupation any time.

``Just ten days are enough for the Azerbaijani armed forces to liberate our occupied territories and reach the borders with Iran and Armenia,`` the statement says. ``And there is only one reason keeping us from taking that step -- too much bloodshed and human casualties.``

The Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 over Armenia`s territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The ensuing war claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced up to a million Azerbaijanis. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been occupied by Armenian armed forces since the 1994 ceasefire. Peace talks have been largely fruitless so far.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council`s four resolutions on its pullout from Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.