In a move that underlines the United Kingdom’s renewed strategic interest in the South Caucasus, Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker has completed a landmark visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia this week — a tour that officials say will “boost regional security” and entrench new defence partnerships.

The trip comes mere months after both countries’ relationships with London were formally upgraded to Strategic Partnerships, with defence cooperation now explicitly placed “at the forefront”. In Yerevan, Coaker inaugurated the UK’s first permanent Defence Section — a clear signal that Britain intends to anchor a long-term presence in Armenia.

A recalibrated British posture

The significance of the visit is amplified by broader geopolitical recalibrations. Earlier this year, the UK lifted its arms embargo on both Azerbaijan and Armenia — a controversial but decisive step reflecting shifting priorities in response to evolving regional dynamics.

In Baku, Lord Coaker held talks with President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defence Zakir Hasanov and Minister of Defence Industry Vugar Mustafayev, exploring expanded military-technical cooperation and training. London’s agenda reportedly includes bolstering defence-industry links, institutional coordination and establishing new training exchanges.

Lord Coaker’s presence at the graduation ceremony of a British-led training course at the Azerbaijan Army Training and Education Centre underlines the UK’s commitment to deepening military education cooperation.

More than symbolism

Beyond diplomatic pageantry, the visit carries real strategic weight. In Yerevan, Coaker’s inauguration of the permanent Defence Section and his meeting with Armenian leaders — including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Defence Minister Suren Papikyan — speak to a concerted effort by London to contribute to Armenia’s defence reform and modernisation.

For the UK, this is not simply about expanding influence: the South Caucasus remains a region of strategic significance. As conflicts simmer and great-power competition intensifies, London appears keen to help shape a stable post-Minsk architecture, working alongside Baku and Yerevan in a bid to secure long-term peace and security.

A message of respect — and pragmatism

During his visit, Lord Coaker paid homage at both the Alley of Martyrs in Baku and the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Memorial, gestures that speak to the somber legacy of conflict in the region and to the human cost borne by both nations.

Yet for all the symbolism, the substance of London’s recalibrated approach is unmistakably pragmatic. As Coaker put it, “as the threats we face increase, our partnerships are becoming more important than ever.”

Under the upgraded Strategic Partnership framework, the UK has now posted defence attachés to both capitals and signalled that cooperation will expand across defence, security and industrial collaboration.

Toward a stable South Caucasus — with Britain in the mix

The Crumbling post-Cold War order in the South Caucasus has repeatedly drawn international attention. Renewed conflict, competing regional interests, and the shifting allegiances of great powers have combined to create a volatile environment. Into this landscape steps the United Kingdom, seeking a more engaged role — not through heavy-handed dominance, but through sustained partnership and long-term commitment.

With this week’s visit, the UK has offered more than polite diplomatic overtures: it has laid a foundation for defence cooperation and institution-building that, if nurtured carefully, could help anchor stability in a region that has seen far too little of it. Whether Baku and Yerevan embrace this fully — or revert to old tensions — remains to be seen. But London, for now, appears serious: and that matters.