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 (a) Armenia and (b) Azerbaijan on de-escalating of tensions between those nations following recent developments in the Lachin corridor.

I [Minister Docherty] issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. This is consistent with our long-standing support for international efforts to facilitate a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict. I [Minister Docherty] spoke to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 17 September and met the Azerbaijani Ambassador on 9 November. The Rt. Hon Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 15 December and reinforced the importance of de-escalation and a return to internationally facilitated negotiations. We continue to urge the governments of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to abide by all ceasefire commitments in good faith.