Details were added (first version posted at 16:45)
Azerbaijan, Baku, June 7 / Trend E.Tariverdiyeva /
The Russian side is concerned about the escalation of situation around Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said, Russia 24 TV Channel reported.
"We consider unacceptable further escalation of the conflict and will continue assisting the parties to find ways for peaceful conflict resolution," he said.
He said Russia hopes that the meeting of foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris will relieve the tense situation and help move forward in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as agree on principles that should form the basis of a comprehensive peace agreement.
Russia proceeds from the premise that the parties should adhere to the ceasefire, Lukashevich said. Incidents such as those that occurred on the contact line, lead to a breakdown of previous agreements and complicate the negotiations, he said.
"We urge the parties to continue efforts aimed to achieve conflict resolution through peaceful means based on the principles of non-use of force, respect for territorial integrity and right to self-determination of peoples," Lukashevich said.
The format of the Minsk group works properly, it remains a basic element of peace process over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as noted also by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a regional visit, Lukashevich said.
The situation on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops remains tense, and ceasefire is violated in all directions, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
On June 5 as a result of the Armenian Armed Forces' provocation five Azerbaijani servicemen were killed.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.