Wendy Morton MP
Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
Tel: 0207 008 5000
The Lord Alton of Liverpool
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
December 2020
Dear Lord Alton,
Thank you for your email of 16 December to Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, regarding recent actions around Nagorno-Karabakh. I am replying as the Minister responsible for both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The UK Government is aware of the reports regarding a further outbreak in hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the peace deal of 9 November. We regret the loss of life and continue to urge both parties to abide by the terms of the deal. I spoke to the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister on 16 December where I reiterated this, but also welcomed news of the recent exchange of prisoners of war. I also welcomed the news that the Azerbaijani prosecutor is investigating allegations of war crimes and has already moved to charge a number of individuals.
In recent calls with both the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers I have urged for transparent investigations into all allegations of war crimes. Where we can independently verify allegations of war crimes, we will raise our concerns with the relevant Governments. It is for those Governments to ensure that their armed forces do not commit war crimes and to investigate any allegations.
The UK Government will continue to support the ceasefire and encourage both parties to work closely with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding issues.
Wendy Morton MP Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas
