Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Peace Negotiations

Tuesday 1 April 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jessica Morden raised concerns about the forced displacement of up to 120,000 Armenians and the detention of 7 officials and civilians during peace negotiations.
  • Bob Blackman highlighted the anniversary of the attempted genocide of the Azerbaijani people by Armenians and the ongoing issue of mine clearance in newly liberated territories.
  • The UK has called for the release of all prisoners of war and has played an important role in mine clearance efforts in Azerbaijan.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jessica Morden Lab Newport East
Foreign Affairs
Context

The offensive by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh displaced up to 120,000 Armenians and resulted in the detention of 23 officials and civilians. There is concern about their welfare, legal support, and fair trial conditions.

Question

This is clearly a critical time for peace in the region. The offensive by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in the forced displacement of up to 120,000 Armenians and the continued detention of 7 officials and civilians. There is much concern about the conduct of the trials, their welfare and their access to legal support, so what more can the Minister do to put pressure on the Government of Azerbaijan to look for their release and to get access to the prisoners?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I thank my hon. Friend for her important work on these issues. The UK has consistently called for the release of all the remaining prisoners of war. We continue to urge the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those detained during the long-standing conflict with Armenia are afforded a fair trial and provided safe conditions. I raised that specifically with the Azerbaijani President’s special representative in October, and we continue to engage with them on this issue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response did not specify any new actions or commitments beyond existing efforts.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Context

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the attempted genocide by Armenians against Azerbaijan, and there are ongoing demining efforts to clear mines from newly liberated territories.

Question

Yesterday was the anniversary of the attempted genocide of the Azerbaijani people by the Armenians, and I am sure the whole House will issue its condolences for that purpose. In the newly liberated territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, hundreds of mines are still being cleared by hand. What action will the Government offer to support Azerbaijan in removing those mines so that the land can be used for beneficial purposes?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The hon. Gentleman rightly raises the issue of mines. He will know the important role that this country has played in de-mining efforts around the world. I am very happy to write to him with the details of where we are on that in relation to Azerbaijan, and we have discussed that with them on a number of occasions. The most important thing is that we continue to work towards the signing of that peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia so that the people of those two countries, with which we have strong relationships, can live in peace and harmony alongside one another.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response did not provide specific details on current or planned demining efforts, focusing instead on broader peace negotiations.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)