Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; and what representations, if any, they have they made to UNESCO for the protection of these sites.

The UK Government is concerned by reports that both sides in the recent conflict have desecrated and destroyed cultural heritage sites. We have not made an assessment of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh but have urged both parties to respect the cultural heritage of the region. We support UNESCO's efforts to assess the impact of fighting on sites of cultural significance. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September. The Minister welcomed the news of the peace deal. She noted that a peaceful settlement was essential to securing the stability of the region; this included the protection of all cultural heritage sites. The British Ambassador to Azerbaijan also raised this issue with representatives of the Presidential Administration on 17 November.