Feb. 09 2024
Source Page: Azerbaijan Presidential Election 2024: UK StatementFound: Azerbaijan Presidential Election 2024: UK Statement
Feb. 15 2024
Source Page: Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan, 2024: UK statement to the OSCEFound: Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan, 2024: UK statement to the OSCE
We call for the UK government to pressure Azerbaijan to immediately respect a safe and secure humanitarian corridor for all the citizens of Artsakh between the region and Armenia, and to cease any aggression in all its forms against the civilian population.
Found: Azerbaijan appears to have increased its aggression against the population in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
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 counterpart in Azerbaijan on that country's dispute with Armenia; and whether he is taking steps to support peace in the region.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I [Minister Docherty] underlined the UK's support for the sovereignty and security of the region during a visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan in November, and officials are delivering this message in their ongoing engagements with Armenia and Azerbaijan. The UK has urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage meaningfully in internationally mediated negotiations to conclude a final peace settlement. Direct dialogue is the only way to secure stability and security for the region. We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue full negotiations as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of changes in relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
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 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: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Azerbaijan on its proposal for a corridor through Armenia.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Addressing challenges in regional connectivity and resolving any remaining border disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are matters to be resolved between the two countries as part of peace negotiations; I [Minister Docherty] discussed these matters with the Governments of both countries during my visit to Baku and Yerevan in November 2023. Direct dialogue is the only way to both secure stability and security for the region, and promote peaceful co-operation between both countries in the future.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and what diplomatic support his Department is providing in relation to such discussions.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK welcomes the recent discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the agreed progress on the delimitation of their international border, based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. We encourage both parties to continue their open and constructive dialogue in order to finalise a lasting peace agreement. The UK stands ready to support them in doing so, alongside our international partners.
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.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights violations against Shia Muslims in Azerbaijan, as detailed in the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s report Country Update: Azerbaijan, published on 5 December.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises that there are ongoing challenges in Azerbaijan in relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), particularly for devout Muslims. The Minister for Europe raised human rights with Foreign Minister Bayramov during his visit to Baku on 22 November. On 14 November during Azerbaijan's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council the UK reiterated our concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly and called on Azerbaijan to improve human rights protections for all.