Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 13
Trend:
European Union came out with a statement about escalation of the situation on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops .
"It is essential that all sides show restraint and avoid any actions or statements which could escalate the situation," - the statement says.
On Nov. 12, at 13:45 (UTC/GMT +4 hours) a Mi-24 helicopter flying 1700 meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Aghdam district attacked the positions of the Azerbaijani army. The helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani side.
The debris of the downed helicopter fell on an area, located 500 meters away from the frontline.
EU also called for an investigation into this incident.
The statement notes support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.