Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what practical steps his Department has taken to secure the release of Armenians held as prisoners of war after the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.

I spoke to the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 13 November and the Armenian Foreign Minister on 30 November where I welcomed the cessation of hostilities. I urged both Foreign Ministers to ensure the International Committee of the Red Cross were able to access the conflict zone to allow for the facilitation of the return of prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased. Our Embassies in Yerevan and Baku continue to engage their hosts in support of these efforts.