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, whether the Government has offered humanitarian aid to help civilians affected by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor and addressing the humanitarian needs of the local population, including at the United Nations Security Council on 16 August 2023. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the current situation. The START FUND, a humanitarian response fund to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to the region to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
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, when the plans to reply to the letter of 13 April on his visit to Armenia in May from the Hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham.
Answered by Leo Docherty
As noted in my [Minister Docherty] letter to the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 13 April, I am due to visit Armenia during the week commencing 22 May, and would welcome the opportunity to meet with him and the wider All Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia in due course.
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 his Department's policy is on the status of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan; and when this policy was determined.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK's long-standing position has been to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognised borders, which include Nagorno Karabakh. The UK Government is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, and we continue to urge the parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and to engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to reach a peaceful settlement which preserves the security of the population.
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 his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the Chinese-British Business Council and its ties to the United Front Work Department and the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values and takes account of national security concerns.
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, if he will agree to meet a delegation of the all-party Parliamentary group on Armenia to discuss the continued blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Answered by Leo Docherty
I (Minister Docherty) can confirm I will meet with representatives from the APPG to discuss the ongoing closure of the Lachin Corridor and humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
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, whether he has had recent discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on the blocking of the Lachin corridor between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences. I [Minister Docherty] issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December. Our Embassies in Baku and Yerevan continue to urge the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to abide by all commitments in relation to the Lachin corridor in good faith and to settle the remaining conflict issues as soon as possible. The UK has spoken at the Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe and at the United Nations Security Council, as well as in Baku, to urge the immediate reopening of the corridor given the risk of severe humanitarian consequences.
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, whether he has taken recent steps to join initiatives of other Western countries relating to the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences. I [Minister Docherty] issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December. Our Embassies in Baku and Yerevan continue to urge the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to abide by all commitments in relation to the Lachin corridor in good faith and to settle the remaining conflict issues as soon as possible. The UK has spoken at the Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe and at the United Nations Security Council, as well as in Baku, to urge the immediate reopening of the corridor given the risk of severe humanitarian consequences.
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 diplomatic steps his Department is taking to secure the establishment of an international, independent and impartial accountability mechanism to document evidence of alleged abuses and violations of (a) International Humanitarian Law and (b) International Human Rights Law by warring parties in Yemen.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK voted in support of the resolution to renew the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen. The Group had a crucial role to play in providing ongoing reporting on the actions of parties. We continue to urge the parties involved to investigate these allegations and take action to promote and protect human rights. Yemen remains a human rights priority country for the UK. We urge all parties to respect International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law and we aim to help create the conditions for the legitimate Government to improve its capacity to protect human rights.
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, with reference to the truce in the Yemen conflict which expired on 2 October 2022, what steps his Department is taking to support a further truce.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK plays a leading diplomatic role in Yemen, we continue to encourage the parties to engage in the UN-led peace process and maximise our role as the penholder at the UN Security Council to extend the truce. We are providing technical advice, engaging with regional actors and the UN and supporting discussions on the economic, security and political future of Yemen. Yemenis experienced significant tangible benefits from the truce and the UK urges all parties to refrain from provocations, engage with the Special Envoy on his proposals and protect progress so far.