UK could fully lift its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan -  statement

ArmInfo. Below is a statement by Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty on the official website of the UK  Parliament. 

This Statement supersedes the Written Ministerial Statement of  Wednesday 01 July 2025 on the 'Arms Embargo (Azerbaijan and Armenia)'  (Statement UIN HCWS760).

"I wish to inform you of the significant developments in the South  Caucasus and the United Kingdom's response to the historic progress  made in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

"On 8 August, a trilateral peace summit hosted by President Trump in  Washington D.C.  brought together President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and  Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia. The summit resulted in the  initialling of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as  well as the signing of a joint declaration. This declaration included  a joint appeal to dissolve the Organisation for Security and  Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group and a commitment to secure  unimpeded connectivity between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave,  while respecting Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The  UK warmly welcomes the progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan  towards peace. These developments mark a pivotal moment in efforts to  secure lasting peace and stability in the region.

"In recognition of their progress, and to support continued momentum  towards peace, the UK Government has decided to upgrade its bilateral  relationships with both Armenia and Azerbaijan to Strategic  Partnerships. These partnerships will formalise cooperation in areas  including trade, security, and defence, and will be underpinned by  annual ministerial-level meetings to review progress. I visited  Armenia and Azerbaijan from 24 to 26 August to reaffirm UK support  and discussed with the leaders of both countries how the UK could  take practical measures to reinforce the prospects for long-term  peace in the South Caucasus.

"We have taken immediate steps to welcome and support Armenia and  Azerbaijan on their pathway to peace by supporting the closure of the  OSCE Minsk Group, in line with their request. The UK welcomes the  consensus reached on 1 September to formally dissolve the OSCE Minsk  Group structures.

"Given the significant progress made in advancing peace, and the  historic outcomes of the recent summit in Washington hosted by  President Trump, the UK considers that the rationale underpinning the  OSCE's 1992 recommended arms embargo on "all deliveries of weapons  and munitions to forces engaged in combat in the Nagorno-Karabakh  area" has fallen away. The UK will therefore fully lift its arms  embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"This decision will enable the UK's security and defence partnerships  with both Armenia and Azerbaijan to evolve in a rapidly changing  context, and will allow the UK to support efforts to safeguard their  sovereignty and territorial integrity, including in response to  conventional and hybrid threats from other states and non-state  actors.

"Export and trade licence applications for Armenia and Azerbaijan  will of course continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis  against the robust UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and the  Government will not issue any licence where to do so would be  inconsistent with any of the Criteria. We will keep the regional and  internal security situation of both Azerbaijan and Armenia under  close review.

"We sincerely hope this is a moment of opportunity for peace,  security and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

"The UK stands ready to work with both countries, the United States,  the European Union and other partners to play a constructive and  proactive role in supporting this transformation, and the security  and stability of the wider region."