The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has advised UK citizens not to travel to the southwestern regions of Azerbaijan, near the border with Armenia.
This information was published on the British government’s website.
It was noted that travel to areas affected by the conflict in 2020 and 2023 — such as Kelbajar, Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Khojavend, Shusha, Khojaly, Khankendi, Agdam, and Tartar regions — is not recommended. The travel warning does not apply to Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which borders Armenia.
The official statement from the British Foreign Ministry has not yet been commented on by Azerbaijani authorities.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988. In September 2020, after a long ceasefire, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia, lasting 44 days. Azerbaijan regained control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan carried out a localized military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. On September 28, the separatist “President of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh),” Samvel Shahramanyan, signed a decree on the dissolution of the “republic.” He linked the decree to the situation that arose after September 19, 2023.
On October 15, President Ilham Aliyev visited Khankendi. During the visit, the president raised the Azerbaijani flag in Khankendi and delivered a speech. In his speech, he stated that Azerbaijan had fully restored its sovereignty, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue was resolved, and the conflict had ended.
A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia has yet to be signed.
