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British MP calls for ban on arms exports to Azerbaijan to be relaxed

06 November 2013 13:03 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. “We need to build bridges with nations who look west, to encourage them to continue to do so, to develop their democracy and human rights and to contribute towards our common security. Azerbaijan is one such country,” said Penny Mordaunt, the British MP, the Member of the Defence Select Committee and Arms Export Controls Committee, answering the questions from The European Azerbaijan Society, APA reports.

“Azerbaijan is an active participant of international peace-keeping operations and it has supplied troops for Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. It is also the most important conduit for ISAF supplies, and will be essential for the UK's troop and equipment withdrawal in 2014. Heavy equipment is planned to be routed through Kazakhstan, by ship across the Caspian, and then on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to Turkey. This highlights the importance of Azerbaijan as a conduit between Europe and Central Asia.

Both Azerbaijan and the UK (through BP) have vital national assets to protect in the Caspian Sea. If Azerbaijan wishes to increase its maritime security through the purchase of warships to protect those platforms then I think they should be able to buy British.

In view of this I would like to see a relaxation of the arms ban on Azerbaijan solely in respect of naval vessels - particularly offshore patrol vessels. Selling an OPV to them would be in our national interest, not only to protect oil rigs, pipelines and vessels in the Caspian Sea, but because an increase in our exports would reduce the cost of them to our own navy. Such sales would have no impact on Armenia which is in conflict with Azerbaijan.

We need to review the blanket ban on the supply of military equipment to Azerbaijan, and to exempt equipment which would be in national interest and common security of Great Britain and Azerbaijan and could not be used in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The same argument applies to training Azeri naval officers, which could only strengthen military cooperation between our armed forces,” she said.