LONDON — UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been criticized as “callous and ignorant” after writing in a recent blog post that Azerbaijan has “liberated” territory in the ethnic cleansing of Karabakh Armenians, GB News reports.
Lammy’s statement, describing the Nagorno-Karabakh region as “liberated,” contrasts with the official stance of the British government. His blog post has prompted Armenia’s ambassador to urgently seek clarification on what appears to be a shift in the UK’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Last September, a senior British diplomat condemned Azerbaijan’s use of force following renewed violence in the ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Neil Holland, Head of the UK Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), stated that Azerbaijan’s use of force was unacceptable and reaffirmed Britain’s call for a ceasefire in the long-standing conflict. Holland criticized Azerbaijan for launching a military operation in the region after a period of calm. The offensive was widely condemned as a violation of the ceasefire agreement signed after the 2020 war.
The Azerbaijani invasion has been described as an ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and a second Armenian genocide by a former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Lammy has been urged to retract his comments by an influential professor who specializes in the conflict. Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP and former chair of the foreign affairs committee, said: “This marks a significant shift in the UK’s language and position. It’s highly improper to change UK policy via a blog. Urgent clarity is needed as to why this comment was published.”
She further commented on social media, “Encouraging Azerbaijan and Armenia to agree on a historic peace treaty is a diplomatic priority, with provisions made for displaced ethnic Armenians to resettle safely in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Ms. Kearns added, “Contradicting long-standing UK policy in a vanity blog is totally inappropriate and throws into question the Foreign Secretary’s judgment.”
Mark Movsesian, the Frederick A. Whitney Professor and Director of the Mattone Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s University Law School, expressed his shock at Lammy’s statement: “The Foreign Secretary’s reference to Azerbaijan’s ‘liberation’ of Nagorno-Karabakh is shockingly callous and ignorant. In fact, exactly a year ago, Baku ethnically cleansed the region of its 120,000 Christian Armenian inhabitants, in violation of an order from the International Court of Justice.”
