§ LORD SORENSENMy 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 it is now proposed to recognise the present Government of the Yemen in view of the apparent stability of that Government and the failure of military resistance to it; and whether our diplomatic representative is likely to be appointed to Taiz or Sana'a at an early date.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)No, my Lords, I have nothing to add to the Answer given on June 25, 1969.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he does not agree that if the Yemeni Government could be recognised, this would materially assist relationships between this country and not only the Yemeni Government but the South Arabian Government? And can he say in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government are likely to recognise the Yemeni Government? May I also ask him whether meanwhile we have any diplomatic representative at all in the Yemen, and what is happening to our legation?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I take note, of course, of what my noble friend has said, but the criteria for recognition of a régime are, in our view, not fulfilled. The civil conflict has clearly abated, but the situation in the Yemen still remains confused. So far as diplomatic representation is concerned, as my noble friend will know, the legation at Taiz was closed in February, 1963. A very full Answer 1050 was given on this point on December 4, 1968, and all I can say is something which I think is already within the knowledge of my noble friend; namely, that the Italian Embassy in Taiz are at the moment responsible for looking after our interests, which are of course extremely limited.
§ LORD SORENSENMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend what other Governments have recognised the existing régime, de facto at least, in the Yemen?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I do not have that information immediately to hand, but if the noble Lord will put down another Question I will of course answer it.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he will seriously consider the now position that has arisen in the Yemen? Is it not a fact that the Royalist Government now has no significant place and that the commander of its forces has joined the Yemen Government; and are we not losing great opportunities by being among those who decline to recognise the Government?
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, I fear that the situation in fact is not as clear at it appears to be in the mind of my noble friend. The criteria for recognition are quite clear in our minds, and in our view they are not yet fulfilled.
§ LORD KILBRACKENMy Lords, as the only Member of your Lordships' House who has travelled extensively—probably the only one who has travelled at all—in the Royalist-held areas of the Yemen, may I ask the noble Lord, first, whether he is aware of the great satisfaction with which his Answer will be received by the Royalists of the Yemen? Secondly, may I ask him whether he would agree that the success of the revolution of 1962, in so far as it was a success, was due solely to the massive intervention by a foreign Power, Egypt, who were acting from no kind of altruism but simply from motives of colonialism, and that despite this massive intervention, including at one time over 100,000 men—
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHACKLETON)My Lords, may I interrupt the noble Lord? He is supposed to be asking a question, rather than making some interesting but debatable points.
§ LORD KILBRACKENMy Lords, in view of the fact that the Royalist armies in fact still control wide and important areas of the Yemen, I hope the present situation will continue.
§ LORD CHALFONTMy Lords, that pious hope can scarcely, I think, be categorised as a question. I can only say that on neither side of this argument are the facts entirely clear. The criteria for recognition, as noble Lords will know, are that the regime should be seen to enjoy the obedience of the mass of the population and the effective control of the greater part of the territory, with some prospect of permanence; and I can only repeat that in our view those criteria are not yet met.