Partnerships with Azerbaijan and Armenia boosted through Defence Minister Lord Coaker visit

• Lord Coaker visited Armenia and Azerbaijan this week with engagements focussed around boosting regional security
• UK opens new Defence Section in Yerevan, Armenia

The UK's partnerships with Armenia and Azerbaijan were boosted this week as Defence Minister Lord Coaker visited the region to discuss peace, stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

The visit by Lord Coaker follows the UK's commitment in the summer to strengthen our relationships with Armenia and Azerbaijan to Strategic Partnerships, with defence cooperation at the forefront.

Defence Minister Lord Coaker said:

As the threats we face increase, our partnerships are becoming more important than ever. The UK is working with Azerbaijan and Armenia to support peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

In an increasingly uncertain world, it is partnerships like these, built on mutual respect and shared values, that will endure.

This year, the UK appointed its first resident Defence Attachés to Azerbaijan and Armenia and announced the full lifting of the UK arms embargo on both countries.

In Azerbaijan, Lord Coaker met with His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev, Minister of Defence of The Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, and the Minister of Defence Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan Vugar Mustafayev. Discussions explored opportunities to further develop the UK-Azerbaijan defence and security partnership.

Lord Coaker attended the graduation ceremony of a British Military Training Course held at the Azerbaijan Army Training and Education Centre. Participants of the intensive four-week course were coached and mentored by British and Czech instructors in accordance with UK's approach to ‘Defence Train the Trainer Course'.

Lord Coaker also visited the Alley of Martyrs and Commonwealth War Memorial to pay his respects to those killed by the Soviet Army during Black January 1990 and in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988–1994.

In Armenia, Lord Coaker opened the UK's first permanent Defence Section in Yerevan, demonstrating the UK's long-term commitment to supporting Armenia's security, sovereignty and defence capabilities.

Meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Defence Minister Suren Papikyan, Lord Coaker discussed deepening defence cooperation and supporting Armenia's defence reform and modernisation efforts.

Lord Coaker also paid tribute at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Memorial and visited the Vazgen Sargsyan Defence Academy, where he met with military instructors and cadets.