The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th January 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the blockade of the Lachin corridor since 12 December 2022 on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and what humanitarian assistance they are providing in response.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. Officials have met with humanitarian agencies, including the ICRC, to discuss the situation. The START FUND, to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor. UK officials remain in touch with humanitarian partners to monitor the situation. The Minister for Europe issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. We also called for an early resolution to this issue in our interventions in Vienna at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 15 December and in New York at the UN Security Council on 20 December.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding ending the blockade of the Lachin corridor that links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty MP, issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors, including representatives of the Azerbaijani Government. The United Kingdom also called for early resolution of this issue in our interventions in Vienna at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 15 December and in New York at the UN Security Council on 20 December.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have undertaken, or plan to undertake, a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment of the blockade of the Lachin corridor to underpin the UK National Security Council Strategy for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) for the South Caucasus region completed in early 2022. It recommended that the UK Government act, where it can, to address regional drivers of conflict in the South Caucasus and exploit opportunities for greater regional dialogue and cooperation. In line with this recommendation, the UK is spending £1 million on conflict-related programming in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2022-23 through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has no plans to undertake a new JACS for the region in the near future, but we continue to monitor the situation closely.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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