HC Deb 25 October 1995 vol 264 cc1003-5
4. Mr. Skinner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met other Foreign Ministers to discuss Bosnia. [36855]

Mr. Rifkind

I last met European Union colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 2 October.

Mr. Skinner

Does the Secretary of State realise that when they gave NATO the job of dealing with Bosnia and bombing a number of the Serb strongholds in the name of the United Nations, it was a serious qualitative change in the method of approach and that there will be serious misgivings in future if it is repeated elsewhere?

On another issue, is the Minister aware that for the past two years a number of people in the House and elsewhere have been saying that the Muslims needed weapons and that the embargo should be lifted? How come, in the aftermath of the bombing, the Bosnian army was able to advance more than 100 miles, capturing 20 towns and villages, with all the weapons at hand? Where did they get them from?

Mr. Rifkind

I think that two explanations for what the hon. Gentleman inquires about are, first, that despite the embargo there has clearly been a supply of weapons from various countries and, secondly, Croatian regular troops were assisting the Bosnian army in western Bosnia. That clearly had significant implications for, the military advances that were made at that time.

Sir John Cope

In seeking a settlement in that part of the world will my right hon. and learned Friend do his utmost to ensure that it is comprehensive? I have in mind particularly the position of Kosovo which is hard pressed by the Serbs. If the present leverage and momentum does not enable us to relieve that pressure in Kosovo it could be the next flashpoint and the next point of escalation.

Mr. Rifkind

It is highly desirable, for the reasons to which my right hon. Friend refers, that any political settlement should produce stability in the region. There are two issues which it would be highly desirable to settle alongside the matter within Bosnia. One is Kosovo, to which my right hon. Friend refers, and the other is the situation in eastern Slovenia where there is great tension between Croatia and the Government in Belgrade. Clearly, it would be highly preferable if those matters could be addressed and if progress could be made. Whether that will be achieved it is too early to say, but I agree with my right hon. Friend that it is a very important objective.

Mrs. Mahon

Given the UN human rights monitors' reports that atrocities have been committed against Serbs in Krajina by the Croatian army, will the perpetrators, when caught, be charged with war crimes?

Mr. Rifkind

The hon. Lady is certainly correct to say that, sadly, atrocities have been committed against members of all the various communities. Those in Krajina who have been expelled from their homes or who have fled from their homes because of fear for their lives are as much refugees and victims of this ghastly war as those of other communities. Prosecution is obviously a matter for the prosecuting authorities.

Mr. Wilkinson

Owing to the evident problems of command and control, can my right hon. and learned Friend ensure that the participation of a Russian contingent in the peace enforcement force in Yugoslavia is not in any sense made a precondition for its deployment? Is it not important that the force be got into place when the powers on the ground believe that it should be and not when the Russians agree? They have never been a Balkan power.

Mr. Rifkind

It is, of course, very important that any implementation force should be ready to take over its responsibilities as soon as a peace settlement is agreed which would then require implementation. The Russians have indicated an interest in serving as part of that force. It is desirable that they should participate. Discussions that are taking place at the moment have made some progress but they still have to resolve certain outstanding issues as to the likely nature of their involvement, the implications for the way in which the implementation force would operate and those particular functions which they could best contribute towards resolving. It is desirable that the implementation force should be broadly based and I think that the current discussions will help to achieve a satisfactory outcome which will not in any way damage the operational effectiveness and coherence of the implementation force. That is a crucial objective.