UK Government responds to Azerbaijan’s decision to create a “trophy park”

The UK Government has responded to Azerbaijan’s decision to create a “trophy park” celebrating their actions against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and said “the UK Government will support the Government of Armenia as it recovers from last year’s conflict”. Baku’s Trophy Park simply encourages and celebrates hatred.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, responded to a letter by Lord Alton of Liverpool. The message reads:

Thank you for your email of 11 May about the opening of a ‘trophy park’ in Azerbaijan. I am replying as the Minister of State for responsible for Human Rights.

The UK Government is aware of the ‘trophy park’ that has recently been opened by President Aliyev in Baku following last year’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During her visit to the region in February the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments to refrain from rhetoric and actions that may exacerbate the tensions. We will continue to raise our concerns with the appropriate Governments.

I want to assure you that the UK Government will support the Government of Armenia as it recovers from last year’s conflict. We shall continue to encourage both parties to engage in substantive negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to find a peaceful, sustainable and fully negotiated settlement.