The European Union commented on Monday on recent conflicts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to show restraint to ensure stability and security in the region.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – ) The European Union on Monday commented on recent conflicts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to show restraint to ensure stability and security in the region.

On Sunday, Yerevan and Baku reported a shootout between the two countries’ security forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan said the shooting left casualties on both sides, while Armenia called the incident a staged provocation, adding that Baku had spread false information about Yerevan’s alleged transfer of personnel and weapons to the conflict region.

“The EU deplores yesterday’s outbreak of violence on the Karabakh Contact Line, which resulted in at least five deaths. The circumstances surrounding this deadly incident need to be fully investigated.

We urge all stakeholders to show restraint in order to prevent any further actions that could further undermine regional stability and threaten the peace process,” the bloc said in a statement.

The South Caucasus is considered one of the most conflict-prone regions worldwide, mainly due to the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region (also known as the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh). In September 2022, the world saw a new outbreak of hostilities between Yerevan and Baku in an area not connected to Nagorno-Karabakh, in the most serious escalation since the events of 2020.

In 2022, Yerevan and Baku, with the mediation of Russia, the United States and the EU, began to discuss a future peace agreement.