Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospect of a negotiated peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan that provides for the wellbeing and protection of the Karabakh Armenian population.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to raise the urgent need to resolve the conflict through negotiations in direct talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, as well as at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. We urge both sides to redouble their efforts to make progress in internationally mediated negotiations, including by making provisions to protect the rights and security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) security and (b) stability of the Caucasus region.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the three states that make up the South Caucasus region. The UK welcomes recent peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the agreed progress on the delimitation of their international border. We wish to see a lasting and sustainable peace settlement reached as soon as possible and stand ready to support this process. The UK remains a close supporter of Georgian democracy and Euro-Atlantic aspirations in line with the will of the Georgian people and stands with Georgia against Russian hybrid pressure.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
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.
Mentions:
1: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Con - Life peer) Armenia is an essential potential ally in the region but, perhaps more importantly, a country that we - Speech Link
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 implications for his policies of the recent attacks on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to raise the urgent need to resolve the conflict through negotiations in direct talks with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, as well as through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. The UK Government, including Ministers and our Ambassadors in Baku and Yerevan, continue to engage with both parties to the conflict to encourage a sustainable, peaceful settlement that will underpin stability and security in the region.
Nov. 20 2023
Source Page: Minister Docherty underlines commitment to peace and security during visit to South CaucasusFound: , Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on (a) the preservation of Christian religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, (b) regulations on religious practice and (c) other protections for Christians from repression and intimidation in that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
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. The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. 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.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help promote talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government is clear that only substantive talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan can finally end the long-running conflict in the region. The former Foreign Secretary spoke with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 10 October and Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Bayramov on 17 October to outline our position. The UK's statement to the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) on 9 November urged both sides to make progress on a lasting settlement in the interests of the region, and to resolve remaining issues peacefully through dialogue.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) British citizens, (b) dual nationals and (c) family members of British citizens affected by Azerbaijan's military offensive in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has not made an assessment of this nature. However, we are in regular contact with the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and their Embassies in the UK, as well as through our Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we use this dialogue to ensure we can provide the latest advice to those living or travelling in Armenia or Azerbaijan. We encourage all British nationals to consult our Travel Advice when considering whether to travel to regions affected by this conflict.