Middle East (Hansard, 26 April 1978)

§ 47. Mr. Hicks
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consultations he has had with fellow Foreign Ministers in the member States of the EEC about the Middle East.

§ Dr. Owen
I am in regular contact with my colleagues of the Nine about developments in the Middle East.

§ Mr. Hicks
In view of the contacts that European leaders had with the Governments of the Arab States and Isreal following the recent European Summit, and the difficulties that the American efforts appear to be running into at the present time, will the Foreign Secretary reconsider the statement made by the Minister of State earlier this afternoon that the time is not appropriate for a major European initiative in order to bring the whole subject back into the international arena?

§ Dr. Owen
I do not think that it is the right time for a major initiative. I think that the dust needs to settle and that people need to consider carefully what compromise they think is necessary in the present situation. There is no case for an initiative at this moment. There is a case for serious thought about the consequences of not entering into serious negotiations.

§ Mrs. Jeger
Will my right hon. Friend say a little more about consultations with EEC colleagues concerning Cyprus, particularly in view of the fact that both Greece and Turkey are anxious to come closer to the Community? Surely this is a major matter that should be discussed among EEC members.

§ Dr. Owen
It is discussed, and I do not rule out the possibility that we shall feel it right to take some action at some stage. But at the moment the main responsibility—it is a very difficult one—rests on the Secretary-General of the United Nations in deciding whether to call another meeting for inter-communal talks on the basis of the proposals put forward by the Turkish Government.
I do not hide from the House the fact that I do not believe that as yet we are approaching an eventual settlement, but I think that both sides should hesitate very seriously before refusing to enter discussions. In international affairs there is very little advantage in refusing to discuss and to come to the negotiating table. I recognise that this is a decision for them—and only for them—to make, but I urge negotiations even if it is entered into without any great sense of optimism.

§ Mr. Brotherton
Having earlier this afternoon heard the Foreign Secretary's hon. Friend condemn terrorism in the Middle East, may I ask the Foreign Secretary, the next time he meets the EEC 1374 Foreign Ministers, to make it clear to them that Her Majesty's Government equally condemn terrorism in Rhodesia?

§ Dr. Owen
I have made it clear that I deplore terrorist acts anywhere in the world. If the hon. Gentleman has not heard that, he has not been a very frequent attender in this House.

§ Mr. David Watkins
May I bring the subject back to the Arab-Israeli conflict and remind my right hon. Friend that we have all been waiting 30 years for the dust to settle, and that there is no evidence that it is likely to settle without some initiatives?
Will my right hon. Friend take an opportunity to advise his EEC colleagues that, in view of their countries' very great commercial involvement in the Middle East, they should be concentrating their minds more on some positive political approach to the cause of peace?

§ Dr. Owen
Activism in international affairs is always easy to undertake, but I believe that there are times when it is wiser to let these issues be resolved by careful thought. It is well known that there is a major area of disagreement on the interpretation of Resolution 242 of the United Nations and on whether it applies to all three fronts—the West Bank, Sinai and the Golan Heights. In the judgment of Her Majesty's Government, it was always intended that it should apply on all three fronts. I believe that until that issue is resolved it will be very difficult to get into serious negotiations.