§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Sir Alec Douglas-Home)With your permission, Mr. Speaker and that of the House, I will make a statement on the Gulf.
I am glad to tell the House that the United Arab Emirates was formally established last Thursday, 2nd December. The Ruler of Abu Dhabi was sworn in as President. Her Majesty's Government 945 had, on the previous day, terminated their special relationship with the six Emirates who are members of the Union. As previously agreed with the Ruler, Her Majesty's Government also terminated the special relationship with Ras al Khaimah, which had decided not to join the Union.
Also on 2nd December, Her Majesty's Government concluded with the Union a Treaty of Friendship, on the same lines as the Treaties concluded recently with Bahrain and Qatar. We welcome this new relationship. We hope the Union will shortly be accepted into the United Nations. All the military arrangements outlined in my statement to the House on 1st March have been accepted by the Rulers, including the hand-over of the Trucial Oman Scouts to be the nucleus of the Union's Defence Force; the establishment of a military advisory team in Union territory; periodic visits to the area by the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force; and assistance to local police forces as well as in the field of development. The political structure for the Arab shore of the Southern Gulf is now complete.
The House will also be aware that after intensive negotiations, in which Her Majesty's Government have been using their good offices, agreement was reached between Iran and Sharjah over future arrangements for the island of Abu Musa. Under these arrangements neither party has given up its claims nor recognised the sovereignty of the other. Iranian troops will be stationed in an agreed area. Arrangements have been worked out to cover oil operations; and revenues, if oil is found, will be divided equally between Iran and Sharjah. Iran is giving generous financial aid to Sharjah. In implementation of the arrangements for Abu Musa, Iranian troops were welcomed by representatives of the Sharjah Government when they arrived on that island on the morning of 30th November.
The two small islands of the Tunbs have also been the subject of conflicting claims. Her Majesty's Government regret that, despite the efforts which were made through long negotiations, it was not possible to achieve an agreed solution to the problem of the Tunbs also. Iran landed some troops on them on 30th November, and I understand that one 946 Arab policeman and three Iranians were killed. We regret this loss of life.
Once the decision to withdraw our forces from the Gulf and to end our special treaty relationships with the Gulf States was taken, it was inevitable that these long dormant disputes would come into the open. Our aim has therefore been to settle these issues where possible, so that they would not drag on, generating suspicion and hostility in the future. The Iranian claim to Bahrain was resolved in May, 1970. The past months have seen the emergence of Bahrain and Qatar as members of the Arab League and of the United Nations, agreement between Iran and Sharjah over Abu Musa, and, most important of all, the emergence of the United Arab Emirates as a new State. We have signed new treaties of friendship with all these states and they inherit satisfactory arrangements for their defence. These are solid and noteworthy achievements, on which can be built co-operation for the future, both between these Arab States themselves, and I hope between them and Iran. The situation now achieved represents a reasonable and acceptable basis for the security and future stability of that area.—[Vol. 812; c. 1227–30.]
§ Mr. HattersleyMay I congratulate the Foreign Secretary on the very considerable achievement which he has notified to the House and particularly on the wisdom of setting a terminal date for direct British participation in the Gulf—a policy which I had the honour to urge from the benches opposite between 1967 and 1970? I confirm the Opposition's support for his view that long-term disputes should not be allowed to drag on but should be brought to a speedy conclusion.
Bearing in mind that the dispute in Abu Musa between Iran and Sharjah has been brought to a successful conclusion, because of the Foreign Secretary's decision to put a terminal date on our participation, may I ask him a question about Ras al Khaimah? Many of us suspect that the difficulties there—and we all regret the loss of life—are in part the result of the refusal of that State to enter the Union of Arab Emirates. Is membership of the Union still available to that State and is it the right hon. Gentleman's intention to continue to press it to join that Union as a logical and 947 sensible alliance of which it should become a member?
I should like to ask a detailed but I think important question about the defence arrangements. The Foreign Secretary has told us that the Trucial Oman Scouts will be the basis of the force comprising the Army of the United Arab Emirates. Can the right hon. Gentleman confirm that individual national armies—and I think particularly of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force—will be placed at the disposal of the Union as a whole and will be incorporated into the forces of the Union?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his congratulations, but I must say that he left us with an almost impossible diplomatic problem—which makes the congratulations all the better. He asked me two particular questions, one about Ras al Khaimah. Yes, the answer is that we are encouraging Ras al Khaimah as far as we can to join the Union and we very much hope that the Ruler will do so. As far as the military question is concerned—the last question the hon. Gentleman asked me—the answer is yes.
§ Mr. WaltersMay I congratulate my right hon. Friend on achieving this very satisfactory settlement in the Gulf? It reflects great credit on Sir William Luce and all the negotiators. May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will give maximum support to the new Union of Arab Emirates and also make sure that nothing is done or said to exacerbate relations between the new Union and Iran, because good relations between them are essential for stability in the Gulf?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI am grateful to my hon. Friend and associate myself with his tribute to Sir William Luce on his tireless work in trying to negotiate a settlement. We will support the Union, and I agree with my hon. Friend that the interests of the Rulers and the States in this area and of the Union and of Iran are really identical.
§ Mr. ThorpeIs the Foreign Secretary aware that it is unwise to congratulate any Minister on the creation of a federation till it has survived for at least 948 15 years? But is he further aware that, none the less, the House would wish to extend its good wishes to the Union of Arab Emirates? May I ask him two questions? First of all, he did not mention the question of the Buraimi Oasis and the dispute which goes on between Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Zaid. May we take it from that that he regards that problem as solved? Secondly, when the Tunbs were invaded we were still under treaty obligations to Sharjah. As a result of that, is it our intention to use our good offices between the Sheikh of Sharjah and the Shah of Iran to bring about some amicable settlement? Does he accept that we have continuing political obligation in that connection?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe Buraimi dispute still goes on, I am afraid. We have not been able to settle it, but there are talks still continuing about that with the King of Saudi Arabia. As far as the Tunbs Islands are concerned, the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah felt he could not make an agreement with the Shah of Iran. It may be that the Ruler of Sharjah will be able to help the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah to come to some arrangement about the future of any people of the islands who may want to return to the islands. I think, as I said before, in the overall interests of the security of the Gulf this arrangement is the best which can be made.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonHave the Tunbs in fact been annexed by Iran? Perhaps my right hon. Friend will consider making a further statement about that. Also, could my right hon. Friend define what is going to be the relationship between Iraq and ourselves? Have we any diplomatic relations with Iraq?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeIraq has broken off relations with us for reasons which I find it very difficult to understand. I hope they will be resumed. As for the Tunbs and Abu Musa, their sovereignty is left open.
§ Mr. James JohnsonIn view of the fact that the Foreign Secretary mentioned bloodshed and fighting when Iranian forces entered Abu Musa, is he not being complacent about this. Is there not a skeleton in the cupboard—which he may have to face at the United Nations? In 949 view of the fact that for 150 years we have administered both the Tunbs and Abu Musa, working from the mainland and the south, is this not a very much more difficult question than the right hon. Gentleman appears to tell the House? Why, if he could buy off Sharjah with £8 million and an agreement on an oilfield, could Sir William Luce not have had something similar to settle the claims of Sheikh Zaqur over Abu Musa?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI understand that the landing on the Tunbs was unopposed and peaceful, but there was an incident later, and that in that a policeman and three Iranians were shot. Sir William Luce tried very hard to get a successful arrangement with Ras al Khaimah as he got from Sharjah, but the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah felt he could not make an agreement. I wish it had been possible. We did all we could.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe right hon. Gentleman said that so far as the sovereignty of the Tunbs and Abu Musa is concerned the issue remains open. Is that the view of the Government of Iran or is it the Foreign Secretary's view?
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeThe view of the Government of Iran, as I understand it, in relation to Abu Musa and in relation to the Tunbs, is that the sovereignty issue has not been raised by either side, but, of course, it can be raised by either side at any time.