The following statement appeared in the PACE website:

“I am extremely worried at the reports of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and deeply saddened at the loss of life yesterday”, said Pedro Agramunt, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “I call on both sides to honour the cease-fire and swiftly resume negotiations towards a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict”.

Recalling that both Armenia and Azerbaijan committed themselves, when joining the Council of Europe in 2001, to use only peaceful means for settling their conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Mr Agramunt urged both governments to refrain from using violence and welcomed the news of a unilateral cease-fire reportedly announced by the Azeri authorities.

Mr Agramunt also called for "the withdrawal of all Armenian armed troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories in compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions."