Romania: Long-Term Aid Conditions (Hansard, 3 July 1990)

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, we shall wish to see considerable progress towards democracy and economic freedom before considering long-term economic aid to Romania.

§ Baroness Cox
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that generally encouraging reply and for the non-specific but important criteria that he indicated. Is my noble friend aware that the Americans have stipulated more specific criteria which they wish to see fulfilled before they give economic aid? Is he aware that those criteria include compensating opposition parties, particularly for the destruction of their buildings, the immediate release of students and political detainees, information concerning the location of three missing leaders—Mr. Leon, Mr. Dinca, and Mr. Munteanu—a guarantee of the freedom of the press and an assurance that vigilantes will not be used again as agents of brutal repression? Does my noble friend agree that those are useful criteria which might be borne in mind before assistance, other than humanitarian assistance, is given?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for bringing those demands to our attention. We regard them as practical examples of the criteria which we have already laid down in concert with our partners. Those criteria are commitments to the rule of law, a multi-party system, respect for human rights, economic liberalisation and media freedom. It must be clear that as things stand in Romania not all of those criteria have been met.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, I support in general what the noble Lord has just said. Is it nevertheless not the case that the Government are making contributions through multilateral channels; for example, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I am not aware of any contributions that we have made through the EIB to Romania. I should be surprised if I found that that was the case. We have given humanitarian aid to Romania, both bilaterally and with our partners in the EC; but humanitarian aid is a different matter from economic aid.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, do we not owe a debt of gratitude to Members of this House who took the trouble to go to Eastern Europe to find out for themselves what was happening and to report back? Is it not true that at the moment 14 of the 15 items included in the declaration of human rights that we signed in 1951 are being flagrantly contravened by the Romanians? Should we not therefore stop further economic aid until the majority of those matters are put right?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, we have not started economic aid to Romania, as I outlined in my first Answer. I agree with my noble friend that we need to see those conditions met. We are grateful to my noble friend Lady Cox and others from this country for acting as independent observers at the election in Romania. Despite the election we have since seen some rather unpleasant scenes.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, will the Government ensure that the withholding of economic aid does not prevent humane assistance? Is he aware that many people in Romania, including children, who have no responsibility for the nature of the government, are suffering great distress? Will he make sure that humane assistance is not held up while those other matters are settled?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I have already made clear to the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition that humanitarian aid is a quite separate issue from long-term economic aid to which the Question refers. I agree with the noble Lord that Romania's needs are pressing. We have given over £6.5 million so far through the EC and bilaterally, and we have no intention of preventing more being given.