HC Deb 27 November 1882 vol 275 cc103-4
MR. BOURKE

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, "What progress has been made towards giving effect to the Treaty of Berlin with respect to the annual tribute of Bulgaria and the portion of the public debt of Turkey which was to be assigned to Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Servia; and, what portion of the public debt is to be assigned to Greece?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

On the 20th of August of last year the Turkish Ambassador formally communicated the adherence of the Porte to the final acts of the European Boundary Commission; and Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople was thereupon authorized to consider with the Representatives of the other Signatories of the Treaty of Berlin the amount of the annual tribute to Le paid, and the proportion of the Ottoman Debt to be borne by Bulgaria. The discussion which followed led to no practical result, and the subsequent negotiations respecting the Russian War Indemnity interfered with the question being further considered; but Mr. Wyndham has been instructed to press the matter on the attention of his Colleagues. With regard to Montenegro, Turkey has not yet completely carried out the decisions of the European Boundary Commission and the subsequent arrangements regarding the Frontier, and the same remark holds good with respect to the Greek Frontier under the Convention of May, 1881. As to Servia, as soon as an application to that effect is received from the Porte, Her Majesty's Government will instruct their Representative at Constantinople to join with the Representatives of the other Powers in the consideration of the amount of debt to be borne by that Kingdom.

MR. BOURKE

And will Her Majesty's Representatives all be instructed in the same way as regards Greece?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

The arrangements as regards Greece have not yet exactly been carried out.