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.