United Kingdom Ambassador to Armenia John Gallagher stated that his country did not block the UN Security Council's press statement, which was supposed to be adopted after the discussion on the closure of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.

In an interview with Armenpress, John Gallagher stressed that they worked conscientiously during several rounds of negotiations to develop an agreed text. But unfortunately, it was impossible to create a statement that would be acceptable to all members of the Security Council.

- Mr. Ambassador, during the discussion on the blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan at the session of the UN Security Council, the representative of France announced that they presented a draft statement on the topic, which, however, was never adopted. This was followed by reports that the United Kingdom, among other countries, had blocked the declaration. Azerbaijan also thanked the United Kingdom, Russia, Albania, and UAE for failing to accept the statement. How would you interpret this information?

- I cannot comment on the closed discussions between the members of the UN Security Council. Still, the United Kingdom participated in those discussions, the purpose of which was to adopt a statement supporting the reopening of the Lachin Corridor. I want to emphasize that the UK has not coordinated its actions on this matter with Russia, Albania, and the UAE, and I can confirm that the UK has not blocked the UN Security Council press release.

We are highly concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the road's closure and have repeatedly called for its reopening. We worked diligently during several rounds of negotiations to develop an agreed text. But unfortunately, it was impossible to create a statement that would be acceptable to all members of the Security Council.

- According to various rumors, Azerbaijan has sold the right to exploit the mines of Nagorno Karabakh to the United Kingdom. How would you interpret this news, considering that the Azerbaijanis blocking the corridor are protesting against using these mines by Nagorno Karabakh?

- The agreement signed between the "Anglo-Asian Mining" company and the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a private commercial transaction. Although Anglo Asian Mining is listed on the London Stock Exchange, the UK government has no stake in the company and is not represented on its board. The dispute over natural resource rights shows why both Armenia and Azerbaijan are so important. in cooperating to achieve a stable and peaceful settlement of the conflict.

- For 29 days now, Azerbaijan has closed the Lachin Corridor, as a result of which the 120,000 population of Nagorno Karabakh is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. As we can see, the international community's calls to immediately remove the blockade of the corridor are not yielding any results. What practical steps will the United Kingdom take to solve the problem and prevent a humanitarian disaster brewing in Nagorno-Karabakh? Is the question of applying sanctions against Azerbaijan being discussed with other international actors?

- The UK government has been transparent that closing the Lachin Corridor and disrupting gas supplies over the winter risks severe humanitarian consequences. We continue to call on the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia to fulfill all their commitments regarding the ceasefire conscientiously. This is consistent with our support for international efforts to promote a sustainable and peaceful resolution of the conflict. The UK Minister for European Affairs reiterated this position in September in talks with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in recent meetings with high-ranking officials of the two countries, and in discussions with the Armenian and Azerbaijani ambassadors to the United Kingdom in London. A lasting settlement can be achieved only in a peaceful, diplomatic way. The United Kingdom continues to support internationally organized negotiation efforts to ensure regional stability and peace.