Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) democratic and (b) civil society rights in Serbia.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK strongly supports the democratic rights of the people of Serbia. We share the concerns of international observers regarding the conduct of December's elections in Serbia. This includes media bias, pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources. Serbia should investigate swiftly and act effectively to address these issues. We encourage Serbia, as we do all Western Balkans countries, to work more closely with civil society organisations to strengthen democracy and rule of law. We were proud to support local election observers in December's elections, alongside our continuing efforts to develop the capacity of grass-root organisations.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) progress towards (i) a lasting resolution of the Cyprus issue and (ii) the agreement of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality and (b) adherence to UN Security Council resolutions.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to supporting the UN-led process to reach a Cyprus Settlement. We continue to believe that the existing UN parameters of a Bi-zonal, Bi-communal Federation with political equality are sufficiently flexible to facilitate an agreement which addresses the priorities of both sides. The appointment of Ms Holguín as the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus is an important step and we welcome her engagement so far. In January, the UK led the drafting of a UN Security Council Resolution which reaffirmed existing resolutions and called upon the leaders to improve implementation where appropriate.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK welcomes the recent meeting between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan in Munich on 17 February; meaningful direct dialogue is the only way to secure stability and security for the region. I [Minister Docherty] underlined the UK's support for negotiations to conclude a final peace settlement during my visit to Yerevan and Baku in November 2023. Officials are delivering this message in their ongoing engagements with Armenia and Azerbaijan. We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue full negotiations as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help improve (a) internet and (b) communications connectivity in the Overseas Territories.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This UK Government is committed to supporting the UK Overseas Territories as valued members of the British Family. Whilst telecommunications are mostly devolved matters which are the responsibility of the local governments in the Territories the UK provides significant support to the four Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible Territories. The FCDO funded capital investment programme in Montserrat recently delivered a sub-sea fibre cable and in St Helena we are supporting improvements in the local telecommunications infrastructure. The FCDO also supports the provision of internet to Pitcairn Island and Tristan da Cunha.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to support the Special Envoy to the Western Balkans.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Drawing on his extensive experience and expertise, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Lord Peach, works with Western Balkans leaders, our allies in the US and Europe, and officials in multilateral organisations, to support and strengthen regional stability and security. Lord Peach is supported in this role through policy advice from across Government, through a Private Office based in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and through the Government's network of embassies, delegations and permanent missions.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on (a) diplomatic, (b) humanitarian and (c) military steps to support Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK plays a leading role in driving international support for Ukraine. We are in constant contact with our European partners in order to: ensure Ukraine receives the diplomatic support it needs; strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities; address its humanitarian needs; support its economic resilience; and promote longer-term recovery and reconstruction. The Foreign Secretary set out the high level of UK ambition with European counterparts at a number of recent meetings, including with NATO Foreign Ministers and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council meetings in November. He has also had talks with the French President and several of his European counterparts, most recently with Italy's Foreign Minister on 8 January.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts in the Black Sea region on facilitating (a) security and (b) commerce during the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are working with Ukraine and international partners to ensure Ukraine can continue to export its goods in the absence of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Recent discussions with partners, including Black Sea littoral states, have focused on the security arrangements needed to prevent and deter Russian attacks and ensure Freedom of Navigation for commercial shipping in the Black Sea. The Prime Minister has also announced a comprehensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability operation to support these arrangements.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 humanitarian and security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and when he last spoke to his counterparts in (a) Armenia and (b) Azerbaijan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has improved since the 20 September ceasefire, which has held since 23 September. However, the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the significant refugee flows from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia, has placed local communities under immense pressure. It is vital that international humanitarian organisations have independent access into Nagorno-Karabakh, so they can assess humanitarian need and respond appropriately. We therefore welcome Azerbaijan's decision on 1 October to allow UN agencies into Nagorno-Karabakh, to complement ongoing efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Foreign Secretary spoke to his Armenian counterpart on 10 and will speak to his Azerbaijani counterpart on 18 October. I [Minister Docherty] spoke to both Foreign Ministers on 28 September".
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking with international partners to help facilitate the lifting of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor, including at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 20 December 2022 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna on 17 January and 27 April 2023. This message was conveyed by the Minister for Europe during his visit to Azerbaijan in February, and was discussed during his visit to Armenia in May. The UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 counterparts in the Baltic states on regional security.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to the security of the Baltic states, including through our enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his Baltic counterparts on regional security. He spoke to the Latvian Foreign Minister last month at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels and welcomed the Lithuanian Foreign Minister to London in February. The Foreign Secretary will also be speaking to Baltic counterparts around the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Oslo next month. We are also committed to Baltic security through the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) as shown by the Prime Minister's attendance at the Leader level JEF Summit in Riga in December.