ANC UK Newsletter
July 2023
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1. The officers of the APPG for Armenia attend meeting with Minister of Europe, Leo Docherty
2. Parliamentarians question the Foreign Secretary
A. Sammy Wilson MP questions the FCDO
B. Bishop of Southwark questions His Majesty’s Government
C. The Marquess of Lothian questions His Majesty’s Government
3. British stars amongst other signatories for a petition to stop the blockade of Artsakh
4. Amnesty International Statement in respect of Artsakh Blockade
5. Freedom House statement in respect of Artsakh
6. ICRC latest statement
7. The International Court of Justice reaffirms 22 February 2023 Order
8. Letter to the Leaders of the European Union: Appeal from Civil Society and Associations from Europe Concerning Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh
9. Report by Tatev Hayrapetyan: Azerbaijan continues Caviar Diplomacy for Bribing European officials
10. ANC UK rejects Charles Mitchel’s approaches to the Artsakh conflict
11. Statement by Head of UK’s Delegation to OSCE, Ambassador Neil Holland
12. ANC UK attends annual memorial service at Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London
13. Union of Journalists Statement
14. Take Action – write to your MP and make them aware of the situation in Artsakh
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Artsakh has been facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe for almost eight months as dictatorial Azerbaijan has closed the only road connecting Artsakh to the rest of the world. On 25 July, massive rallies were organised in Stepanakert and Yerevan to protest Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of Artsakh. The humanitarian crisis in Artsakh is continuing to significantly worsen with every day – among many other consequences, Artsakh is currently on the brink of famine as shops and supermarkets are empty, early pregnancy losses have nearly tripled over the past month as a result of the blockade, Artsakh’s public transportation has completed halted due to fuel shortage, crucial medical supplies are non-existent.
It is imperative that Artsakh’s right to self-determination be respected. Below is some of the work we and a number of other organisations and individuals have been doing in background to help end the illegal blockade and stop the Azeri aggression against the peaceful population of Artsakh.
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1. The officers of the APPG for Armenia attend meeting with Minister of Europe, Leo Docherty
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Since the beginning of the Lachin Corridor blockade, Tim Loughton has been requesting a meeting with the Minister of Europe to discuss the consequences of this Azerbaijani illegal action. Finally on July 10, APPG for Armenia officers, Tim Loughton (Chairman) and Jessica Morden (Vice-Chair), together with Baroness Cox (Vice-Chair, joined remotely) and Annette Moskofian (Secretariat, joined remotely) met with Minister of Europe and Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Leo Docherty.
This high level meeting was an opportunity to discuss security and humanitarian issues concerning Artsakh and Armenia. Tim Loughton requested a more robust stance from the UK Government, including in respect of the lifting of the Azerbaijani-imposed blockade of Artsakh.
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2. Parliamentarians question the Foreign Secretary
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Sammy Wilson MP (Democratic Unionist Party MP for East Antrim) questions the FCDO
Sammy Wilson, MP of Democratic Unionist Party for East Antrim, asked the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Azerbaijani counterpart on the (a) closure of the Lachin Corridor and (b) the attack on a metallurgical plant under construction in Yeraskh.
In response, Leo Docherty, Conservative MP for Aldershot, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), said:
«The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor and addressing related humanitarian concerns. I [Minister Docherty] visited Baku on 22-23 February to meet with senior representatives of the Azerbaijani government, including Foreign Minister Bayramov, and called for the re-opening of the Lachin corridor in those meetings. In addition, when the Foreign Secretary and I [Minister Docherty] hosted Foreign Minister Bayramov in London for the 5th UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue on 21-22 June, we welcomed recent progress towards a peaceful settlement in the conflict with Armenia»
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| The Lord Bishop of Southwark questions His Majesty’s Government
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) international partners, and (2) the government of Azerbaijan, to encourage it to lift its blockade of Artsakh.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied:
The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor and addressing related humanitarian issues, including at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 20 December 2022 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna on 17 January and 27 April 2023. Minister Docherty visited Baku on 22-23 February to meet with senior representatives of the Azerbaijani government and called for the re-opening of the Lachin corridor in those meetings. Minister Docherty reiterated these messages when he hosted Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov in London for the 5th UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue on 20 June. We will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months. |
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| The Marquess of Lothian questions His Majesty’s Government
The Marquess of Lothian asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current status of peace talks between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the region of Artsakh, since the opening of an Azerbaijani checkpoint on Hakari Bridge in the Lachin Corridor in April.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon replied:
Shortly after the checkpoint was established in April, the UK Government said at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe that this could run counter to ongoing efforts to establish peace and security in the region, which have shown promise in recent weeks. The UK Government welcomes the continued participation of Armenia and Azerbaijan in negotiations to work towards settling all outstanding matters between them, and we urge them to continue to build on this momentum towards a settlement. The Minister for Europe Leo Docherty MP underlined our support for negotiations during his visit to Azerbaijan in February, and with Prime Minister Pashinyan on his visit to Armenia in May. |
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3. British stars amongst other signatories for a petition to stop the blockade of Artsakh
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4. Amnesty International Statement in respect of Artsakh Blockade
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Amnesty International, the world’s leading human rights organisation, has made the following statement in respect of Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of Artsakh:
«The Azerbaijani authorities must lift the blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh and bring an end to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.»
Amnesty International also highlighted the following points in respect of the blockade:
· Blockade is a serious blow to access to healthcare in Nagorno-Karabakh
· Food and fuel shortages exacerbate the human rights costs of blockade
· Azerbaijan fails its human rights obligations by taking no action to lift the blockade
We join Amnesty International in raising concern regarding Azerbaijan’s blatant failure in its human obligations through the continuing of the inhumane blockade of Artsakh.
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| 5. Freedom House urged Azerbaijan to allow humanitarian assistance to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and to open the Lachin corridor |
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| Freedom House issued a statement on July 25 urging Azerbaijan to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) “to provide vital humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh & immediately work to ensure freedom of movement by opening the Lachin corridor, guaranteeing unrestricted movement of individuals, vehicles & cargo”.
“The deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region has deprived civilians of life-saving medication and essential goods. We urge democratic governments to exert pressure on Azerbaijan, calling for an end to the deliberate starvation of innocent civilians”, said Freedom House. |
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| 6. Statement of the International Committee of the Red Cross |
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| The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a statement saying that the organisation “is not currently able to bring humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin corridor”. “The organisation is calling on the relevant decision makers to allow the ICRC to resume its essential humanitarian operations in the area”. |
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7. The International Court of Justice reaffirms 22 February 2023 Order
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirmed its Order of 22 February 2023, as reported by the Office of the Representative of Armenia for International Legal Matters on July 6:
“Azerbaijan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”. By way or reminder, the ICJ, as the United Nations’ highest court, ordered on 22 February that Azerbaijan must “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
Not only has Azerbaijan breached its obligations under international law by ignoring the ICJ’s judgment, but it has also since then illegally installed a checkpoint system in respect of the entrance to the Lachin Corridor, putting the 120,000 population of Artsakh into an inhumane, suffocating position.
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8. Letter to the Leaders of the European Union: Appeal from Civil Society and Associations from Europe Concerning Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh
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More than 470 European NGOs and associations have sent a letter to the leaders of the European Union, urging them to take immediate and effective steps to end the ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
The letter is addressed to the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, and EU High Representative, as well as the heads of the member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Among other things, the letter notes that “the native Armenian people of Artsakh demand nothing less and nothing more than the protection of their fundamental and inalienable right to live as a free people in safety and with dignity in their own homeland. We sincerely hope that their voices as well as ours will be heard!”.
To read the full letter, including the demands made pursuant to the letter, please follow this link: Pan-European Initiative. This link also allows organisations to join as signatories of the petition.
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| 9. Report by Tatev Hayrapetyan: Azerbaijan continues Caviar Diplomacy for Bribing European officials |
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Tatev Hayrapetyan, Former MP and former Armenian delegate to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said on July 19 that Azerbaijan continues its caviar diplomacy for bribing European officials, albeit in a more cautious manner.
In particular, a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the 13th of July revealed that “Azerbaijan has conducted large-scale influence operations, involving strong suspicions of corruption, against members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe” and that “Azerbaijan has managed to avert probes into its elections and whitewash its human rights record“.
To read the full report, please follow this link: Tatev Hayrapetyan: Azerbaijani Caviar Diplomacy.
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10. ANC UK rejects Charles Michel’s approaches to the Artsakh conflict
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The Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC UK) rejects the remarks made by the President of the European Council, Charles Mitchel, after the meeting with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the July 15.
We reject Azerbaijan’s agenda of providing an alleged “humanitarian aid” to Artsakh via Aghdam, instead of pressuring Azerbaijan to comply with the binding order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of February 22, 2023, which ordered Azerbaijan to “ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”.
The democratic people of Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan, which is currently keeping 120,000 people under siege, including 30,000 children.
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| 11. Statement by Head of UK’s Delegation to OSCE, Ambassador Neil Holland |
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Ambassador Neil Holland, Head of the United Kingdom’s Delegation to Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), made a statement in response to Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s speech at the special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council convened in Vienna on the July 20.
Ambassador Neil Holland said “We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing disruptions to the Lachin corridor and the associated humanitarian consequences for the local population. We support the International Court of Justice order of February 2023 for Azerbaijan to ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions. The UK calls again on all parties to refrain from the politicization of humanitarian aid. In order for the civilian population to be protected, it is crucially important for organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross to be able to continue to carry out their work in this region, where their operations provide access to essential goods and services, including life-saving medication and health care”.
“The UK has been clear that there is no military solution to this conflict and urges both sides to continue to engage in substantive negotiations towards a settlement. We recognize that any settlement should include provisions on protecting the rights of the local population in Nagorno-Karabakh. UK Ministers discussed this with Foreign Minister Bayramov during the recent UK-Azerbaijan strategic dialogue. We are therefore encouraged by President Michel’s trilateral meeting on 15th July with President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan, and hope momentum will be maintained towards an historic peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan”.
To access the complete article, please follow this link: Neil Holland’s Statement.
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| 12. ANC UK attends annual memorial service at Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London |
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On Sunday 16 July, ANC UK attended the annual memorial service commemorating those who sacrificed their lives defending Cyprus in 1974. The memorial service took place at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God in London.
The memorial was organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and His Eminence Archibishop Nikitas of Thyateira. The High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, Andreas Kakouris, gave the gave the Memoriam Address to the congregation. Mr. Kakouris noted that while Cyprus makes “sincere efforts to resume dialogue” to end Turkey’s illegal occupation, “Turkey and the occupying regime are seeking to further consolidate the division of Cyprus and create new fait accompli to facilitate their objective”.
President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Mr Christos Karaolis, noted that it has been 49 years since the illegal Turkish invasion and continued occupation of Cyprus, in which Cyprus has “not given up our hope, nor our campaign for a free, united Cyprus, without Turkish troops and anachronistic guarantees.”
We join the people of Cyprus in commemorating all who lost their lives in 1974 in defence of their country.
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13. Union of Journalists Statement
The Union of Journalists of Armenia launched a campaign in support of the Republic of Artsakh entitled “Wake Up World! Prevent the Genocide in Artsakh! Stop the Blockade!”.
The strong message of the campaign is as follows:
“Through this campaign, we are raising our voices in defense of our compatriots in Artsakh. We call on all Armenian media outlets, media persons, international and Armenia-based media organizations, freelance journalists and bloggers to join the campaign by disseminating this statement. We also call on them to post the following banners on the web pages of the respective media outlets and on social networks and keep them posted for as long as it takes for the ROAD OF LIFE linking Artsakh to Armenia to be opened».
To read the complete statement, please follow this link: Union of Journalists Statement.
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Following the calls from Artsakh to the diaspora we urge you to take action and write to your MP to raise the issue with the Foreign Secretary asking them to:
– demand once again that Azerbaijan immediately stops violating the November 9 ceasefire statement and remove the checkpoint on the Hakari-bridge installed in blatant violation of the binding order of the ICJ and international commitments, unblock the Lachin Corridor, secure the free and safe movement of people and goods to and from Artsakh;
– impose economic and political sanctions on Azerbaijan and its leaders for non-compliance with international provisions, for the occupation of part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, for Azerbaijan’s war crimes and for the blockade vis-à-vis Artsakh;
– use all your leverage to prevent any control of Baku over Artsakh since this inevitably means the ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Artsakh;
– recognize the right to self-determination of the native Armenian population of Artsakh as indispensable and use the leverage at your disposal to ensure that the status of Artsakh reflects the democratic expression of will of its native Armenian population and enables sustainable peace as well as security;
– set up an air corridor in order to provide emergency economic and humanitarian aid to Artsakh and to guarantee the safety of air links from Stepanakert airport;
– put pressure on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and stop its aggressive stance towards Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia as a prerequisite for peace talks.
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Please give today to help our campaigns
To continue our ever growing work in lobbying we urgently need funds to have paid staff. All our efforts are done on voluntary basis. Please donate so we can carry on working for the Armenian Cause and raise concerns of the British Armenian community.
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Why Donate?
The Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC-UK) is the largest and most influential British-Armenian political grassroots organisation.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Britain and affiliated organisations around the world, ANC-UK actively advances the concerns of the British-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
The work achieved by ANC-UK is currently on a volunteer basis. However, we are hopeful that in the coming years through the financial support of our community, the ANC-UK chapter will have the necessary funds to open a full-time office employing an Executive Director and a part-time Administrative Assistant.
Setting up an ANC-UK office will allow for our organisation’s goals to be achieved as they have been throughout the diaspora in the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Europe.
As a grassroots organisation, we rely upon you, our community and friends for financial assistance to advance our cause. Your donations support our goal of having a full-time office, to advocate on issues important to all British-Armenians and the Armenian cause.
Thank you for your consideration of our request for your support.
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