Written question asked by Bishop of St Albans (Bishops (affiliation)) on Monday, 15 January 2024, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 January 2024. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 29 January 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Heritage

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan in this regard.

Answer: The UK Government is clear that the preservation of religious and cultural sites in the region is an important issue and we take seriously reports of the destruction of churches or other sites of religious significance. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. The British Embassy in Baku has raised this with the Azerbaijani government consistently and at senior level.

Secondary information