Arms Embargo (Armenia and Azerbaijan)

Statement

My Honourable Friend the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories (Stephen Doughty MP) has today made the following statement:

This Statement supersedes the Written Ministerial Statement of Wednesday 02 July 2014 on the ‘Arms Embargo (Azerbaijan and Armenia)’ (Volume 583, Column 60WS, 02 July 2014).

The UK regularly reviews export policy to embargoed destinations in light of our international obligations and the situation on the ground, to ensure that implementation continues to be legally robust, diligent and consistent with the terms of the sanctions in place.

The Government will apply the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) arms embargo to weapons, ammunition and munitions that might be used on the land border between Armenia and Azerbaijan by military, police, security forces and related government entities. Weapons, ammunition and munitions are those items specified in entries ML1, 2, 3 and 4 of the UK Military List of the Export Control Order 2008. Supplies of such equipment to other end users, such as, humanitarian, peacekeeping, research or media organisations, will not be considered subject to the embargo unless there is a risk of diversion to the land border for use by the military, police, security forces and related government entities of either state.

This is a change from the 02 July 2014 UK interpretation of the arms embargo which included the supply of all military list equipment to military, police and security forces and related governmental entities, where this equipment could be used in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, or on the land border between Azerbaijan and Armenia

This revision is consistent with the precursor to the OSCE, the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe’s declaration of 1992, which requested an embargo on “all deliveries of weapons and munitions to forces engaged in combat in the Nagorno-Karabakh area”.

Export and trade licence applications for Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and the Government will not issue a licence where to do so would be inconsistent with any of the Criteria. The UK will continue to monitor the situation on the ground and keep the arms embargo under review.

We strongly support the efforts of both parties to find a lasting peace.