7 July: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Baku and Yerevan in the next days with a message from President Medvedev (agencies)

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on the sidelines of the sixth European Political Community Summit that brought together leaders of 47 countries. The two sides discussed the current situation and underlined the importance of continuing efforts toward signing a peace agreement. No details of the meeting held on 16 May have been disclosed but published photographs and video footage show Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev informally across a coffee table.