BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 14. The UK supports
the efforts of civil society in Armenia and Azerbaijan to promote
dialogue and build trust ahead of a hoped-for historic peace
agreement, said Stephen Doughty, UK Minister of State for Europe,
North America and Overseas Territories, Trend reports.
He noted that the UK government highly values the role of civil
society in the South Caucasus and provides support through
diplomatic engagement and dedicated programs.
“The UK Government hugely values the role of civil society in
the South Caucasus, and supports their work in Armenia and
Azerbaijan through both diplomatic engagement and programming. We
engage with organisations focused on peace, security, democracy,
equality, and inclusion, and work with representative groups to
strengthen civil society’s role in both countries’ development and
stability,” Doughty said.
The minister also stressed that the UK supports the work of
Armenian and Azerbaijani think tanks aimed at fostering dialogue
and building trust in the run-up to a potential peace
agreement.
“We also support efforts by Armenian and Azerbaijani think tanks
to foster dialogue, building trust ahead of a hoped-for historic
peace agreement,” he added.
Doughty further noted that during his visit to Baku and Yerevan
in August 2025 he met with civil society representatives to discuss
key issues and reaffirm the UK’s commitment to supporting civil
society across the region.
“We regularly raise the importance of maintaining civil society
space and rights,” he concluded.
