Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attempt to normalise relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on the five principles Azerbaijan recently offered to Armenia; and the role any non-cooperation from Armenia may have played in hindering such normalisation.

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

The UK Government welcomes the steps that Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking to normalise relations following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and is monitoring developments closely. In his meetings with the Azerbaijani and Armenian Ambassadors, on 29 and 31 March respectively, the Minister for Europe and North America, the Rt Hon. James Cleverly MP, reinforced the need for substantive negotiations without preconditions to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict. The UK Government will continue to encourage the parties to engage in negotiations to secure stability and security for region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, the Foreign Secretary has had with her Armenian counterpart concerning the release of data about Azerbaijanis who went missing during hostilities in the 1990s.

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

The UK Government continues to urge the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to settle all outstanding matters related to the conflict, including the return of the remains of the deceased from the 1990s and the return of prisoners of war from the most recent conflict. This was most recently raised by the Minister for Europe and North America, the Rt Hon. James Cleverly MP, in calls with the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers on 1 and 4 March respectively.

With friends from the ⁦@ConservativeMF⁩ at the ⁦@10DowningStreet⁩ @conservatives Iftar tonight. We remembered the founder Lord Sheikh and welcomed Lady Sheikh. And celebrated charity and public service of the British Muslim communities at #Ramadan. https://t.co/EBp3lWuRd0

Delighted to speak at the @ConservativeMF and @UK_CCF event and pay tribute to the fantastic contribution of faith communities, as well as remember Lord Sheikh and the outstanding role he played in strengthening community cohesion and promoting interfaith dialogue. https://t.co/hymAnHDSaK

Very sad news. It’s been a pleasure to work closely with Lord Sheikh over the years. He will be missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with Lady Sheikh and his family at this time. https://t.co/rVuJnYdeLa

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Lord Sheikh. We worked together on many issues in Parliament - he will be sorely missed. Thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this unimaginable time. May Allah bless his soul ?? https://t.co/rmdwgpFe4l

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Verily we belong to God and verily to him do we return. I am very sad to hear that Lord Sheikh has passed away. As a Tory Lord there was much we disagreed on, but he was a very lovely man indeed. May God bless his soul. https://t.co/ncM8rHKtKX

Very saddened to learn of the passing of Lord Sheikh. Over the years I had the pleasure of working with him on a number of issues, from Srebrenica to Islamophobia. He was a dedicated & hard working colleague who will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family https://t.co/hVkalHoYpN

@NazShahBfd @UKHouseofLords Such sad news. I enjoyed working with Lord Sheikh as Co-Chair of the @appghatecrime and he was a steadfast voice against hatred and division. He will be missed. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and @UKHouseofLords colleagues.

إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ Extremely sad to hear about the passing of Lord Sheikh. I had the honour of working with him over the years as Co-chairs of the APPG on Islamic Finance. A member of @UKHouseofLords for over 16 years. He will be missed. ??? https://t.co/Y3NE2k99r7

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lord Sheikh – a former co-chair of the APPG on Hate Crime. Lord Sheikh was a dedicated philanthropist and community leader. (1/2) https://t.co/4LyaOHvzA3