Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office written question – answered at on 17 March 2026.
Bob Blackman
Chair, Backbench Business Committee, Chair, Backbench Business Committee
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support its strategic partner Azerbaijan and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia after the recent drone attacks launched from Iranian territory against Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Stephen Doughty
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I spoke with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, on 9 March, expressing the UK's full solidarity with Azerbaijan in the face of the unacceptable Iranian drone strikes on Nakhchivan Airport and nearby sites. The UK condemns such attacks for threatening Azerbaijan's security and undermining regional stability. I also strongly welcomed the positive momentum towards a comprehensive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and made clear that the UK fully supports the ongoing efforts by both sides to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.
Yes2 people think so
No1 person thinks not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
