Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to respond to (a) attacks on (i) Christian communities, (ii) humanitarian access and (iii) religious freedom and (b) violence in Aleppo.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, including minorities, publicly and in our engagement with regional and international partners. We are closely monitoring the treatment of religious minorities, including Christians.
No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria and for an inclusive political transition.
We are working closely with the UN and other humanitarian partners to understand any barriers to access. We continue to call on all parties to support humanitarian access, including for humanitarian workers, in all regions of Syria.
In Aleppo, we are urging all parties to refrain from activity that will lead to further loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure, to avoid further destabilisation and civilian suffering in the region.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Azerbaijani counterpart on the protection of the cultural and religious heritage of Artsakh.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is important. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the decades-long conflict between the two states. The UK Government has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani Government on many occasions and continues to press for the protection of sites of significance.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on the right of return of Armenians of Artsakh under international protection.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has consistently encouraged the Azerbaijani authorities to provide clarity on the rights and security of ethnic Armenians displaced by conflict who wish to return to Nagorno-Karabakh. We have no plans to raise international protection in relation to this matter. We commend the tremendous efforts of the Armenian government which has supported those displaced from the region to enable them to have a future in the country.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Azerbaijani counterpart on Armenian prisoners illegally held by the Azerbaijan regime.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to urge the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those detained during its longstanding conflict with Armenia, or during September 2023's military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, are afforded a fair trial and provided safe conditions, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations and commitments. Regarding prisoners of war, we have been consistent in calling for their release, and for the return of the remains of the deceased, throughout the period of conflict in the region. I raised this issue with Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan, Elchin Amirbayov, during his visit to the UK in October.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department taking through the (a) UN, (b) 7 and (c) other multilaterals to support freedom of religion or belief globally.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK ensures Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) remains on the international platform through our multilateral engagement.
At the UN, we regularly take part in Interactive Dialogues with the UN Special Rapporteur for FoRB, most recently on 24 October. We also cosponsored a side event at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council on combatting intolerance.
At the 22nd G7 Speakers' Meeting in September, we actively engaged in drafting the resulting Declaration and were pleased to see a commitment to FoRB for all included.
We are an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, and recently attended the International Ministerial Conference on FoRB in Berlin. The UK delivered a national statement at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimensions Conference, in October, on FoRB and fundamental freedoms.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of church closures without provision for an alternative place of worship in Turkey; and if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on those closures.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Freedom of religion or belief is a priority for the FCDO. It is a fundamental right that we regularly discuss with the Turkish authorities. The Turkish government has repeatedly stated its support for the operation of churches and the religious houses of all faiths in Türkiye. In our engagement with Türkiye, we will continue to engage on these issues and to urge respect for religious freedoms, which are essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Venezuelan counterpart on taking steps to allow a democratic and peaceful transition following the recent presidential election in that country.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in 2018. The UN was clear the outcome of the Venezuelan elections in July this year cannot be deemed credible without the National Electoral Council publishing full results. The Foreign Secretary has publicly called for the swift and transparent publication of full, detailed results to ensure that the outcome reflects the votes and the will of the Venezuelan people; this was echoed in a G7 statement on 31 July. The UK also joined a coalition of countries in signing a Dominican Republic-led regional statement on 16 August demanding an end to repression and respect for human rights.
The UK continues to pay testament to the millions of Venezuelans who turned out to vote in the presidential election on 28 July. Along with the UN and international allies, we remain deeply concerned about allegations of serious irregularities in the declared results. Despite repeated calls, Venezuela's National Electoral Council has still not produced full results or credible evidence of a victory for Nicolas Maduro. Publicly available records appear to show Edmundo Gonzalez secured the most votes by a significant margin.
The UK continues to work with international partners to achieve a peaceful solution in Venezuela. Dialogue remains the only solution to ensure that the will of all Venezuelans is respected.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has taken recent steps to call on the Venezuelan National Election Council to publish the voting records from the Presidential election in that country.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not accept the legitimacy of the administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in 2018. The UN was clear the outcome of the Venezuelan elections in July this year cannot be deemed credible without the National Electoral Council publishing full results. The Foreign Secretary has publicly called for the swift and transparent publication of full, detailed results to ensure that the outcome reflects the votes and the will of the Venezuelan people; this was echoed in a G7 statement on 31 July. The UK also joined a coalition of countries in signing a Dominican Republic-led regional statement on 16 August demanding an end to repression and respect for human rights.
The UK continues to pay testament to the millions of Venezuelans who turned out to vote in the presidential election on 28 July. Along with the UN and international allies, we remain deeply concerned about allegations of serious irregularities in the declared results. Despite repeated calls, Venezuela's National Electoral Council has still not produced full results or credible evidence of a victory for Nicolas Maduro. Publicly available records appear to show Edmundo Gonzalez secured the most votes by a significant margin.
The UK continues to work with international partners to achieve a peaceful solution in Venezuela. Dialogue remains the only solution to ensure that the will of all Venezuelans is respected.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make representations to his Greek counterpart on the removal of military personnel from Southern Cyprus.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
We do not routinely comment on the activities of non-UK personnel. The UK actively supports peace and stability in Cyprus as a leading troop contributor to UNFICYP and through our support for the UN-led settlement process.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3452 on Cyprus: Land Mines, what progress the Government has made on encouraging the Greek Cypriot administration to join efforts to de-mine the island of Cyprus.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The UK is unequivocal in its support for a mine-free Cyprus. As UN Security Council penholder on Cyprus and a leading troop contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), we led the drafting of UN Security Council Resolution 2723 in January to renew UNFICYP's mandate and welcomed its unanimous adoption. The resolution included language urging both leaders to overcome existing barriers and expedite demining progress in Cyprus. We engage all sides to encourage the flexibility needed to make progress on tangible cooperation now, and ultimately to reach a just and lasting Cyprus settlement.