Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to de-escalate tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Government is deeply concerned by the military action in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and the resulting humanitarian situation. The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Foreign Minister have delivered two joint statements calling for de-escalation and for both parties to return to the negotiating table without preconditions. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood has spoken to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers three times, most recently on 28 October. The Minister raised UK concerns over civilian casualties and fatalities, urged immediate de-escalation and reinforced the importance of engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group. The UK will continue to engage the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan and all regional partners, including to push for a return to substantive negotiations without pre-conditions.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on reports of Turkey’s involvement in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Turkish Foreign Minister Çavusoglu on 19 October and both agreed the need for an urgent de-escalation and a return to substantive negotiations. The Defence Secretary visited Ankara on 5-6 October and stressed the need for immediate de-escalation. We continue to encourage all external parties and friends of both states to redouble their efforts in support of an end to hostilities and to refrain from taking actions that may exacerbate the crisis. We support the efforts of the Minsk Group, of which Turkey is a member, to facilitate an end to the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to facilitate the return of prisoners of war and bodies from the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She highlighted the importance of ensuring the International Committee of the Red Cross were able to access the conflict zone to provide emergency humanitarian assistance. She also urged both Foreign Ministers to abide by the recent ceasefire agreements to allow for the facilitation of return of prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of breaches of ceasefires, what assessment they have made of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government is clear that there can be no military solution to the current conflict. We are deeply concerned that three humanitarian ceasefires have failed to hold. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires and condemned the continued targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure. The UK Government continues to urge both parties to undertake substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) missile attacks on the Azeri town of Barda, and (2) who was responsible for those attacks; and what representations they have made to the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia about such attacks.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government is aware of reports of attacks on Barda although we have not yet made an assessment on responsibility. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October. She urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires and condemned the continued targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representation they have made to the government of Azerbaijan to desist from targeting civilian infrastructure and cultural and religious sites in its military offensive in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers on 28 October and urged both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefire. She strongly condemned all targeting of civilian infrastructure and the increasing number of civilian casualties.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of mass atrocities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government has not made an assessment of a threat of mass atrocities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. We continue to urge both parties to abide by the humanitarian ceasefires. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 October and condemned shelling of civilian settlements.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on (a) providing support to end the blockade of Armenia by (i) Azerbaijan and (ii) Turkey and (b) the policy of isolation towards the Republic of Artsakh.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has not raised the closure of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Armenia and Turkey. The UK continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to find a solution to the conflict, including the Minsk Principles governing relations between member states.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government will take steps to support the implementation of monitoring mechanisms along the line of contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia to mediate the current tensions between both parties.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Any monitoring mechanism should be agreed with both Armenia and Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group. Although we are not a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, the UK Government continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and Minsk Group Co-Chairs in calling for immediate de-escalation and a return to the negotiating table.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the validity of footage showing Azerbaijan Military personnel executing two Armenian prisoners of war; and whether this constitutes a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Officials are assessing the footage in question. We are deeply concerned of accusations from both sides that war crimes are being committed and continue to urge de-escalation. Where it is possible to verify reports of alleged violations of the Geneva Convention in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, we will do so and we will raise these with the parties involved.