FUTURE OF BAHRAIN AND CENTO (Hansard, 19 June 1969)

§ LORD Brockway
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (LORD CHALFONT)
My Lords, I wish first to make it plain that in answering both parts of my noble friend's Question together, I do not want to imply that the future of Bahrain is in any way linked to the future of CENTO, and I know that my noble friend will agree with me that the two matters are entirely separate. The answer to his Question is that no decisions were taken.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, may I just say, in view of that comment—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS
No.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
May I just ask—and I think that when the House hears what I have to say it will agree that I was entitled to say—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS
No.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
I think it will.

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS
No.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
In view of the Minister's comment and the fact that this Question deals with two issues, may I ask whether he is aware that the Question has been tabulated in this way at the request of the Government Chief Whip's Office for the convenience of the Minister himself?—Yes, for the convenience of the Minister, so that he might return in time for the two Questions to be taken together. Again I ask the Minister, in view of his statement, was I not entitled to make to the House that description of the matter?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I am sorry if there has been any misunderstanding here. I was not in any way criticising my noble friend for putting the Questions in this form. If what he has implied in his supplementary question is true, I am most grateful to him, but I wanted to make it clear to the House that the two things are not linked in any other way.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, is the Minister aware that I am grateful for his Answer because it enables me to put supplementary questions on both the points? As regards Bahrain, is there not a great danger that in the vacuum which will be left after the withdrawal of the British Forces a critical situation will arise, first from Iran's claim to the island, 1105 secondly from the difficulties about the conclusion of the federation of the Sheikdoms, and thirdly from the inevitable urge for a democratisation of these areas? In view of those facts, what are Her Majesty's Government doing to prepare for that critical situation?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, as the House will know, our present treaty with Bahrain will be ended by 1971 and we have made it clear that whatever the future relationship may then be it will not be a relationship of protection such as exists in the present Treaty, nor will it be a relationship which will involve a military commitment or a military presence. My noble friend has suggested that this will create some kind of dangerous vacuum, and he mentioned specifically the claim of Iran to Bahrain. Iran continues to claim Bahrain, but I think it is important to say that at a Press conference in New Delhi on January 4 the Shah of Iran said that Iran would not use force against Bahrain and would respect the wishes of the people of Bahrain. Of course this subject was discussed at the CENTO meeting, but I think my noble friend need not be too concerned about that specific issue. I think the rest of what he asked perhaps goes rather wide and is a matter that ought to be discussed at a different time.

§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, as to the second part of my Question regarding CENTO, would not my noble friend agree that the time has come for some reconsideration of the CENTO organisation? Is it not a fact that it now represents only three Asian countries, and that Pakistan is very indifferent about it? Is there not a danger that CENTO, with Iran's membership, may become a source of conflict in the Middle East rather than of peace? Would Her Majesty's Government look at this matter in a broad way and take into consideration whether it is a contribution to peace?

§ LORD CHALFONT
My Lords, I cannot accept any of the implications in my noble friend's question. In our view, the Central Treaty Organisation provides an element of stability in this area. It gives the three regional countries concerned. Iran. Pakistan and Turkey, a base of strength from which to carry on their business, develop their bilateral relations 1106 and build their own economic development. If any country is seriously disatisfied with the Alliance then it is free to suggest alterations to it, and indeed is free to withdraw from the Alliance if it wishes to, but no one has signified any wish to do this.