The Karabakh conflict is a source of great concern, in view of deaths at the line of contact in recent years, UK Minister of State for Europe David Lidington said at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Armenian media reports.

According to Lidington, the UK highly appreciates the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in promoting the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

“The international community should double its assistance to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in achieving progress in the conflict settlement,” Lidington added.

Foreign Minister Nalbandian, in turn, reiterated Armenia's position, noting that implementation of people's right to self determination cannot be grounds for conflict. “On the contrary, the denial of the right flares a conflict. We have always stressed that the realization of the right to self-determination can help prevent new conflicts and promote peace and stability in the region and the world, as a whole.”

Dwelling on Armenian-Turkish Protocols, the British Minister noted that “the protocols should be implemented without delay.” “We want to see the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. We think that both parties have a lot to gain from it,” he said.

Commenting on human rights violations and persecution of civil rights activists in Azerbaijan, the British official noted, "we’ve been completely open in criticizing the situation in Azerbaijan. I’ve issued public statements about particular cases in Azerbaijan within last year. Members of Parliament in the House of Commons raise concerns about human rights in many countries, including Azerbaijan. The Foreign Office publishes an annual report on the state of human rights worldwide.”