Nagorno-Karabakh

Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Reid of Cardowan

Thursday 21st September 2023 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My noble friend Lord McInnes is quite right. The important things here, as I said earlier, are to end hostilities, commit to talks with the Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabakh, stop acts of violence and ensure that humanitarian access is brought to this area.

[Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister pay particular attention to the constructive proposals and suggestions of the noble Lord, Lord Purvis? The problems in Nagorno-Karabakh are intractable and have gone on for many years: I remember visiting the front between Azerbaijan and Armenia as far back as the 1990s. But there have been other intractable problems in the world, not least in places like Colombia and Northern Ireland, where we have particular expertise —that is an 800 year-old problem. Have the Government already offered, or do they intend to offer, some practical assistance to the process of reconciliation? It may be too early for that but it is never too early to make the offer, because there is a reservoir of experience and talent in this country arising out of the Northern Ireland peace process. Of course there is no template that can just be moved on to Nagorno-Karabakh but, nevertheless, the essential elements of that and the Colombian and other reconciliation processes mean that we are in a position to offer constructive assistance.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

As the noble Lord said, if we can get reconciliation between the parties, we will go a long way towards resolving some of this crisis. He commented on the process and, as I said, our position at the moment is that the US, the EU and France are taking the lead for a number of reasons, as he will be aware. But we will of course be there to offer any aid we can, and it will be interesting to hear what my noble friend Lord Ahmad has managed to achieve at the UN.