Great Britain lifts arms embargo on Azerbaijan and Armenia

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

As reported by BAKU.WS, the statement says:

"I would like to inform you about significant events in the South Caucasus and the UK's response to progress in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On August 8, a trilateral summit was held in Washington with the participation of US President Donald Trump, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. As a result, a peace treaty was initialed and a declaration was signed.

The documents include a call for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and a commitment to ensure a connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan while respecting Armenia's sovereignty.

The UK welcomes the progress achieved. This is an important step toward peace and stability.

In this regard, we are elevating our relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan to the level of strategic partnership in the areas of trade, security, and defense.

From August 24 to 26, I visited both countries to confirm our support and discuss practical steps.

We supported the dissolution of the Minsk Group. Given the progress achieved, we believe that the OSCE embargo from 1992 has lost its relevance. The UK is completely lifting the arms embargo for Armenia and Azerbaijan. This will help develop cooperation in the field of security and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries, including countermeasures against hybrid threats. Export licenses will be considered individually based on strict criteria.

We will monitor the situation in the region. We hope that this will lead to peace, security, and prosperity in the South Caucasus. The UK is ready to cooperate with both countries, the USA, the EU, and other partners to support these changes and regional stability."