Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL6312), what attempts they have made to document the destruction of Armenian historical sites in Nakhichevan.

The protection of cultural heritage affected by conflict and the prevention of acts of destruction are priorities for the United Kingdom. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged during long-standing conflict between the two nations. Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the UK has engaged with the governments of both Armenia and Azerbaijan on this issue. We reiterate our call on all parties to respect all the cultures and religions of the region. We hope the deployment of UNESCO missions to both countries will be agreed and take place soon - this will be an important step in documenting any damage to cultural heritage sites and building trust between the two sides. We will continue to monitor allegations of the destruction of cultural heritage sites carefully.