Written question asked by Bishop of St Albans (Bishops (affiliation)) on Wednesday, 9 March 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 23 March 2022. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 23 March 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL6312), what assessment they have made as to whether the process of Albanization is occurring in relation to (1) churches, and (2) monasteries, in (a) Nagorno-Karabakh, and (b) the surrounding regions, retaken by Azerbaijan.

Answer: The protection of cultural heritage affected by conflict and the prevention of acts of destruction are priorities for the United Kingdom. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged during long-standing conflict between the two nations. Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the UK has engaged with the governments of both Armenia and Azerbaijan on this issue. We reiterate our call on all parties to respect all the cultures and religions of the region. We hope the deployment of UNESCO missions to both countries will be agreed and take place soon - this will be an important step in documenting any damage to cultural heritage sites and building trust between the two sides. We will continue to monitor allegations of the destruction of cultural heritage sites carefully.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL6819
Session: 2021-22
Related items: Armenia: Azerbaijan
Monday, 7 March 2022
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Armenia Churches Azerbaijan Religious orders
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk