Mark Field's agenda with trade envoy Andrew - MP lobbies Prince over Azerbaijan human rights abuses, but won't comment on outcome

Published: 11 March 2011
by JOSH LOEB

PRINCE Andrew met Conservative Cities of London & Westminster MP Mark Field earlier this week to lobby him on behalf of Azerbaijan – but what did they discuss and what mood was the embattled royal in?

Mr Field, who is chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on Azerbaijan – a country whose regime has been criticised by Amnesty International for human rights abuses – told the Guardian Prince Andrew had asked for help boosting investment in the former Soviet-bloc country.

But when the West End Extra contacted him he was far from keen to discuss the meeting.

“I don’t want to comment on it further,” he said, before hanging up.

Prince Andrew, who is the UK trade envoy, is under fire for an alleged friendship with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a US financier who served a prison sentence for soliciting an underaged girl.

His links to dictatorial regimes including that of Colonel Gaddafi have also been criticised.