During the United Kingdom (UK) House of Commons’ discussions on international assistance for Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Leo Docherty, the UK Minister for Europe, was asked what London intends to do to assist those forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, to guarantee their possible safe and secure return to Nagorno-Karabakh, to hold Azerbaijan accountable, to ensure the return of Armenian captives from there, and to contribute to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
In response the minister for Europe said the UK government is committed to assisting Armenia and will continue to work with international partners and Yerevan to increase capacity to assist the aforementioned refugees and their host communities. He added that they are ready to assist Azerbaijan in integrating Armenians who want to return.
The UK's role is to try to enable those two countries to successfully settle and conclude a lasting peace. The UK sees Russia's role in the entire region as nothing more than extremely useless interference. Practical experience has shown that Russia is an unhelpful and unreliable ally, said the UK minister for Europe.
Docherty noted that the UK will host the summit of the European Political Community in July. According to the minister, this will be a good opportunity for the leaders of the South Caucasus countries to come together with other European leaders to promote peace.
The UK official assured that his country takes the reports of the destruction of religious and cultural sites very seriously, and supports the work of international organizations that are carrying out a monitoring mission to assess them.
The UK minister for Europe emphasized that London continues to encourage the return of all prisoners of war and the remains of those who died from conflicts, and is happy that Armenia and Azerbaijan released 34 detainees in December last year.
In conclusion, Leo Docherty reiterated that the UK stands with those affected by the conflict. He assured that they will continue to provide humanitarian assistance and actively offer diplomatic assistance. Docherty expressed hope that there is a real, meaningful, and sustainable possibility for peace in the South Caucasus.
