The United Kingdom has lifted its 30-year arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan, citing “significant progress” in peacebuilding efforts between the two neighboring countries. The decision, published on the British government’s official website, marks the end of restrictions imposed during the first Karabakh conflict in the early 1990s.
UK Deputy Foreign Minister Stephen Doughty said the move reflects London’s confidence in the normalization process now underway:
“Given the substantial progress achieved toward establishing lasting peace, the United Kingdom believes that the embargo on arms exports has lost its relevance. Therefore, it will be fully lifted for both Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
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The embargo had remained in place for more than three decades amid tensions and repeated escalations over Nagorno-Karabakh. Its removal is seen as a symbolic endorsement of the ongoing peace process.
Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that peace had been established between Yerevan and Baku after years of conflict, thanking CIS partners for supporting regional reconciliation. He noted, however, that both sides still face the task of restoring trade, economic, and political ties, stressing that “peace provides the confidence needed to resolve all remaining issues step by step.”
