Tension in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait area must not be escalated, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said.

"Free passage of the Kerch Strait is guaranteed by the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine about the cooperation on the usage of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait. It was signed in 2003 and came into force in 2004," Jagland said in a statement shared with Interfax by the Council of Europe on Monday.

"According to this Agreement, the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait are shared territorial waters. The Agreement must be respected. It is of utmost importance to avoid any further escalation in the region," he said.