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Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with international partners on strengthening multilateral approaches to prevent the circumvention of sanctions against Russia through third countries.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK coordinates closely with the EU, US, G7 and other international partners to tackle circumvention via multilateral fora and strategic consultations. Senior officials attend the Sanctions Coordinators Forum in Brussels, most recently in February 2024 focusing on strengthening enforcement of Russia sanctions. With the EU, US and Japan we have agreed a list of 50 Common High Priority items; battlefield-critical components we are targeting through joint diplomatic engagement with third countries. With the US and EU we have jointly engaged with the UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, and Serbia, to highlight circumvention risks and offer technical support.


Lords Chamber
Christians: Persecution - Mon 25 Mar 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Mentions:
1: Baroness Cox (XB - Life peer) forced to flee and live in dire conditions as displaced people.I turn briefly to my second example: Armenia - Speech Link


Written Question
Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Heritage
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his Armenian counterpart on the protection of Armenian Christian cultural heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in Open Door UK’s World Watch List, published on17 January 2024.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We are clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches and other sites of religious significance in both Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of their long-running conflict. Ministers and the British Embassies in Yerevan and Baku have raised the need to protect such sites with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments consistently and at the most senior levels. Open Door UK's World Watch List provides a sobering account of the extreme difficulties faced by many Christians around the world. We note the report's comments regarding Azerbaijan and regularly raise human rights issues with the Azerbaijani Government.


Written Question
Nagorno Karabakh: Churches and Cultural Heritage
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Azerbaijan on the (a) condition and (b) security of Armenian Christian (i) churches and (ii) other heritage sites in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Government is clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. UK Ministers and the British Embassy in Baku have raised the topic of religious and cultural destruction with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at the most senior levels.


Non-Departmental Publication (Policy paper)
Equality Hub

Mar. 22 2024

Source Page: Shazia Choudhry: UK candidate for UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Document: UK CEDAW candidate brochure: Professor Shazia Choudhry (PDF) (PDF)

Found: ofession on international standards on violence against women, gender equality , and access to justice in Armenia


Lords Chamber
Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill [HL]
2nd reading - Fri 22 Mar 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) convention on the crime of genocide.On other occasions, I have spoken about the Rohingya, the Yazidis, Armenia - Speech Link


Written Question
Armenia: Azerbaijan
Thursday 21st March 2024

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 a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

I [Minister Docherty] visited Yerevan and Baku in November 2023. I underlined to President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan the UK's support for negotiations to conclude a peace settlement; meaningful direct dialogue is the only way to secure stability and security for the region. The UK welcomed the meeting between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan in Munich on 17 February and that between Foreign Ministers Mirzoyan and Bayramov in Berlin on 28 - 29 February. We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue negotiations in order to finalise a lasting peace agreement and we stand ready to support them in doing so.


Select Committee
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Ian Cliff OBE, and University College London

Oral Evidence Mar. 19 2024

Inquiry: Western Balkans
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: speech before the election that Serbia should learn from Azerbaijan’s example in its conflict with Armenia


Westminster Hall
Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenian Refugees - Tue 19 Mar 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Mentions:
1: John Whittingdale (Con - Maldon) being put out by the side of Armenia. - Speech Link
2: Tim Loughton (Con - East Worthing and Shoreham) statement was heavily skewed against Armenia. - Speech Link


Deposited Papers

Mar. 19 2024

Source Page: British Council 2022-23 Annual report and accounts. 141p.
Document: British.pdf (PDF)

Found: higher education Working in seven countries – Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia