Croatia (Hansard, 25 May 1993)

§ Mr. Elletson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to raise the matter of minority rights in the Republic of Croatia with the Croatian Government or its representatives; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Minority rights in Croatia were a key element of the negotiations pursued by the Carrington conference in 1991–92 and of the principles agreed at the London conference on the former Yugoslavia in August 1992. The co-chairmen of the international conference on the former Yugoslavia and the chairmen of the working group on ethnic and national communities and minority working group are in regular close contact with the Croatian Government and have been mandated by the EC and United Nations to promote negotiations on this issue. We fully support the work of the co-chairmen and take every opportunity to impress on the Croatian Government the importance of co-operating with the co-chairmen to resolve the problems of minorities within Croatia.

§ Mr. Elletson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the German Foreign Minister on German involvement in the transfer of arms to the Republic of Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not514W discussed this issue with the German Foreign Minister. We continue to believe that it is vital that all countries scrupulously observe the arms embargo imposed under United Nations Security Council resolution 713.

§ Mr. Elletson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has received from President General Tudjman of Croatia to the message sent by EC member states on 12 May protesting at Croatian aggression and ethnic cleansing in Mostar.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
President Tudjman replied on 13 May to the President of the EC Council of Ministers, Mr. Petersen. He listed initiatives taken by the Croatian Government to try to bring the situation in central Bosnia under control, and asserted that Croatia was not responsible for the aggression of the Bosnian Croats. President Tudjman repeated these points at a meeting he held with the German Foreign Minister on 14 May. Mr. Kinkel repeated the EC demand that President Tudjman should exert his influence over the Bosnian Croats in order to stop the fighting.