Written question asked by David Linden (Scottish National Party) on Wednesday, 23 January 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 28 January 2019. It was answered by Mark Field (Conservative) on Thursday, 31 January 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Turkmenistan: Christianity

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Turkmenistan on that country's inclusion in the Open Doors 2019 World Watch List of the top 50 countries where Christians face persecution.

Answer: The Foreign Secretary and I, alongside other British Government Ministers, routinely raise our concerns about the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, where this occurs. He recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review of the persecution of Christians around the world to help inform this important area of our work and ensure it is targeted and effective. The Government works with a large number of NGOs, including Open Doors, to help promote and protect freedom of religion or belief. We use information from a wide range of sources to inform our work.

Secondary information