Nagorno-Karabakh

Debate between Earl of Courtown and Baroness Cox

Thursday 21st September 2023 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

The noble Lord makes some good points. As he is aware, Russian peacekeepers are there, but Azerbaijan’s ability to conduct a military operation in full sight of them shows how committed Moscow is to peace and security in this area. This is an ongoing situation and the position is unclear, but we are making every effort to make representations. As I said earlier, my noble friend Lord Ahmad is at the UN. There is a UN Security Council meeting later today, where he will make these points. Later in the week, he has meetings with Foreign Ministers from that area, particularly the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan.

[Baroness Cox (CB)]

My Lords, I was in Armenia and at the border of Nagorno-Karabakh last week. I would like briefly to raise three concerns from personal experience. First, Azerbaijan has trapped the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh inside the region for many months; it has blockaded the so-called Lachin corridor, which is the only road from Armenia into Nagorno-Karabakh. Not only that but it has prevented food and medical supplies entering, and people have started dying of starvation. Secondly, in recent military offensives Azerbaijan has targeted civilians. Civilians have been killed, including a child, and many have been wounded. That is a very serious violation of human rights and may be a crime against humanity. Thirdly, I witnessed Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia. I was in Armenia and saw Azeri settlements on Armenian hillsides. A few kilometres from Goris, there is an Azeri settlement which is visible from the town.

I ask the Minister if he will be able to raise with appropriate sources the suffering inflicted by Azerbaijan on the Armenian people and the potential crimes against humanity. I also ask if he will respond appropriately to the need of the Armenian people for protection against the infliction of military offences and crimes against humanity in Nagorno-Karabakh.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

It is always good to hear the experiences of the noble Baroness. The points she makes are well founded and there are many concerns. It is particularly right and proper that my noble friend Lord Ahmad is at the UN this week; as noble Lords know, he is the Human Rights Minister. The noble Baroness also mentioned the Lachin corridor which, as she correctly said, was used for fuel and goods to be taken into the area and is now closed; it has been closed since December. There are considerable humanitarian problems faced by the population there now.