Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his Armenian counterpart on the protection of Armenian Christian cultural heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in Open Door UK’s World Watch List, published on17 January 2024.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We are clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches and other sites of religious significance in both Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of their long-running conflict. Ministers and the British Embassies in Yerevan and Baku have raised the need to protect such sites with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments consistently and at the most senior levels. Open Door UK's World Watch List provides a sobering account of the extreme difficulties faced by many Christians around the world. We note the report's comments regarding Azerbaijan and regularly raise human rights issues with the Azerbaijani Government.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan concerning the protection of the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made, since September 2023, to (1) UNESCO and (2) the government of Azerbaijan, regarding the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - 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 an important issue, and although we have not formally made representations to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) since September 2023, we support their work in this regard. The British Embassy in Baku has raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representation they have made, since September 2023, to (1) UNESCO, and (2) the government of Azerbaijan regarding the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - 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 an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised this with the Azerbaijani government.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan in this regard.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - 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 an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised this with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with (1) other governments, and (2) international partners, to ensure the protection of Armenian cultural heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government continues to raise the importance of the protection of all cultural heritage sites with the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and is deeply concerned by reports that both parties have destroyed cultural heritage. The UK Government continues to urge the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, both bilaterally and in our statements in multilateral fora such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to allow international organisations unrestricted access to all areas of the region. This includes pressing both sides to ensure UNESCO is able to undertake its crucial work in support of historical and cultural heritage. We continue to underline our support for the efforts of UNESCO.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about allowing UNESCO to undertake an independent mission to draw an inventory of significant cultural properties in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government continues to raise the importance of the protection of all cultural heritage sites with the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and is deeply concerned by reports that both parties have destroyed cultural heritage. The UK Government continues to urge the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, both bilaterally and in our statements in multilateral fora such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to allow international organisations unrestricted access to all areas of the region. This includes pressing both sides to ensure UNESCO is able to undertake its crucial work in support of historical and cultural heritage. We continue to underline our support for the efforts of UNESCO.