SOCHI, Russia (AFP)—On March 5, Armenia and Azerbaijan held talks on Nagorno Karabakh, signaling their wish to resolve the conflict peacefully after tensions heightened in recent months.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev released a statement stating their intention to “resolve all controversial questions in a peaceful manner” after meeting in Sochi.

They agreed to hold joint investigations of skirmishes along the ceasefire line, which killed at least 22 soldiers last year, under the aegis of the Minsk group of the OSCE, chaired by France, Russia and the United States.

They also agreed to complete a swap of prisoners of war and to return the bodies of soldiers killed during the conflict, a deal that they agreed at their last summit in October.

The peaceful rhetoric came after Azerbaijan repeatedly threatened to use force to win back Karabakh if peace talks did not yield results, while Armenia has warned of large-scale retaliation if Baku launches military action.

Azerbaijan’s defense minister said last month that his country was preparing for war with Armenia to “liberate its territories.”

The Armenian president said in January that his country was prepared to fight its neighbor again to defend the region.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread along a ceasefire line in and around Nagorno Karabakh, often facing each other at close range, and shootings are common.