§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will raise the status of British diplomatic representation in Conakry, Guinea.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, my right honourable friend has this matter under active review and expects to give it further consideration during the course of the year. We welcome the development of our relations with Guinea, and we have noted increasing British commercial interest in Guinea.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, may I very warmly welcome that reply from my noble friend and, following it, may I ask him three short questions? First, is it still the case that the only British representative in Conakry is an honourary consul who is unable to speak English? Secondly, would my noble friend agree that Guinea is a classic case of a country forced into the arms of the Soviet Union by ostracism from the West, and thereafter learning the weakness of Soviet aid and opening her doors to Western assistance? Thirdly, would he agree that to appoint an ambassador to Conakry would be of great benefit to the business world of this country, to the Ministry of Overseas Development, and to the general development of what may very well turn out to be the richest country in West Africa?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, Her Majesty's Ambassador in 1786 Dakar is concurrently accredited to Guinea. We also have in Conakry an honorary consul to whom my noble friend has referred, and who performs his duties more than adequately. With regard to the point that my noble friend made about the attitude of the Guinea Government towards this country and the West generally, I am bound to agree with him that this is increasingly acceptable to us, and I must pay a tribute to President Sékou Touré and his Government for the constructive attitude that they are taking in these matters. We also agree that it would be highly beneficial to this country and to Guinea, and indeed to the West as a whole, for commercial relationships to develop in the future at a faster rate than they have in the past.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTONMy Lords, may we take it that human rights do not arise in a case like this?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I do not think that we can take it that they do not arise in a case like this. Indeed, human rights arise to one degree or another in practically every country of which I have knowledge. We have to concentrate upon the posture, the momentum, and the general attitude prospective for the future, and I am sure that in the case of Guinea we are witnessing a most constructive reappraisal of that country's attitude towards the West. Everything that we do and say should be in encouragement of such processes.
§ Lord DRUMALBYNMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the foundations for trade relations with Guinea were laid some years ago? I wonder whether the noble Lord can give us an indication of what has happened since? Can he give us the trade figures up to the most recent date available?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSI am afraid that I cannot give the figures without notice, my Lords. However, I grasp the opportunity to repeat what I said; namely, that the political development of that country's relationship with the West and with this country is gratifying, as indeed is its relationship to other francophone countries in its neighbourhood in terms of attitude towards the West.