UK fully lifts arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan – Stephen Doughty

A written statement by the Minister of State for Europe and North America, Stephen Doughty, regarding the lifting of the arms embargo on Azerbaijan and Armenia has been published on the website of the UK Parliament.

“On 8 August, a trilateral peace summit hosted by President Trump in Washington D.C. brought together President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia. The summit resulted in the initialling of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the signing of a joint declaration. This declaration included a joint appeal to dissolve the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group and a commitment to secure unimpeded connectivity between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave, while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UK warmly welcomes the progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan towards peace. These developments mark a pivotal moment in efforts to secure lasting peace and stability in the region.

In recognition of their progress, and to support continued momentum towards peace, the UK Government has decided to upgrade its bilateral relationships with both Armenia and Azerbaijan to Strategic Partnerships. These partnerships will formalise cooperation in areas including trade, security, and defence, and will be underpinned by annual ministerial-level meetings to review progress. I visited Armenia and Azerbaijan from 24 to 26 August to reaffirm UK support and discussed with the leaders of both countries how the UK could take practical measures to reinforce the prospects for long-term peace in the South Caucasus.

We have taken immediate steps to welcome and support Armenia and Azerbaijan on their pathway to peace by supporting the closure of the OSCE Minsk Group, in line with their request. The UK welcomes the consensus reached on 1 September to formally dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group structures.

Given the significant progress made in advancing peace, and the historic outcomes of the recent summit in Washington hosted by President Trump, the UK considers that the rationale underpinning the OSCE’s 1992 recommended arms embargo on ‘all deliveries of weapons and munitions to forces engaged in combat in the Nagorno-Karabakh area’ has fallen away. The UK will therefore fully lift its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the statement reads.