French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Azerbaijan to withdraw its troops from “the sovereign territory of Armenia” after a series of recent border incidents between the two South Caucasus countries heightened regional tensions, writes Radio Liberty.

Hosting Armenia’s caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for talks in Paris on June 1, Macron also called on the two neighbors to demarcate their border through negotiations and without “any fait accompli on the ground”.

Tensions have been running high since Yerevan accused Azerbaijani troops last month of crossing several kilometers over its southern border in what it said was a bid to stake a claim to territory. Azerbaijan insisted that its troops simply took up positions on its side of the frontier.