Croatia: Policy (Hansard, 11 December 1991)

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, Croatia's wish for independence cannot in the end be denied. But recognition would not stop the fighting. We have to judge whether recognition of Croatia now would increase the danger of civil war in the other republics. That question is constantly being reviewed.

§ Lord Wyatt of Weeford
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that his Answer is quite mistaken? By an overwhelming majority the people of Croatia voted last summer for independence. If we recognised that independence we would recognise the situation for what it is internationally: aggression by Serbia on Croatia. Croatia may then have an opportunity to obtain help from the United Nations against an aggressor in the form of arms and perhaps other help. At present that is denied.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, we believe that recognition should come as part of a negotiated general settlement involving all the Yugoslav parties. That is the only way of guaranteeing the rights of minorities.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that most of us welcome the recent exchange of prisoners between the Croats and Serbs? Will the Government do their utmost to encourage that process of exchange, to assist in the tracing of displaced and missing people, and indeed to take other confidence-building measures?

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, we will do anything we can to encourage confidence-building measures. The body with authority in the matter is the CSCE. It provided strong backing for EC efforts. It gave the EC its initial remit and has regularly reiterated support. In regard to human rights, a fact-finding mission in Yugoslavia is now in preparation.

§ Lord Kennet
My Lords, while thinking about the possible independence of Slovenia and Croatia, will the Government keep closely in touch with the Greek Government? The more Yugoslav republics attain independence, the more the future of the Macedonian republic of Yugoslavia comes into question. The more the interest of Greece is then affected.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, that is a question on which I have not sought briefing. I shall be pleased to bear it in mind.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, will the noble Lord agree that any settlement which even verges on being a dictated one will not work? It must be a negotiated settlement with the general level of understanding with one another agreed beforehand.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, I agree with my noble friend. A settlement must involve all the parties concerned.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, can the noble Lord say when the Security Council will next discuss the conflict in Yugoslavia? Can he say also what is the progress towards the imposition of an oil embargo, and advise us of the progress towards an arms embargo?

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, I am not aware when the Security Council will meet. An important meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council is to take place next week. We have set out our current policy on the recognition of Croatia and Slovenia. That will be our main argument on the 16th when the conference takes place. However, as the noble Baroness will appreciate, the situation is developing rapidly. Our policy is therefore under daily review. On 8th November Ministers agreed to work for a UN Security Council resolution placing an embargo on oil. A report on peace-keeping by Mr. Vance is due later this week. That will need to be examined before further consideration can be given to United Nations action.

§ Lord Bonham-Carter
My Lords, will the noble Lord be good enough to say whether there is yet a representative from the embassy of Belgrade with the Croatian Government in Zagreb? Does he agree that if the Government do not recognise Croatia until there is a general settlement between all the republics of Yugoslavia, they will have to wait a long time? The state of Yugoslavia as a unitary state no longer exists.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, with matters developing at the present speed, I do not know that the noble Lord, Lord Bonham-Carter, can anticipate how long that will be. We must give the present negotiations a chance. I did not hear the first question of the noble Lord regarding whether we have a representative or where.

§ Lord Bonham-Carter
My Lords, I asked whether we had a representative from the embassy in Belgrade in Zagreb with the Croatian government.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, my understanding is that we do not.

§ Lord Marsh
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the problems in Yugoslavia are a fearful example of the inevitable instability of disparate nations brought together in artificial federations?

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, I must agree with the noble Lord.

§ Lord Mowbray and Stourton
My Lords, is there not a danger that if we continue to wait for the negotiations to draw to a conclusion—as we have been waiting for weeks—there will be no Croatia or Slovenia left?

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, we believe the best chance of avoiding that outcome is by keeping a joint policy with our EC partners and allowing Mr. Vance's negotiations to proceed.

§ Lord Wyatt of Weeford
My Lords, is the policy of the Government to wait until the whole of Croatia's ancient buildings have been destroyed, most of its citizens slaughtered and three-quarters or half of Croatia occupied by Serbia before they will do anything at all? Perhaps they will not do anything even then.

§ Lord Cavendish of Furness
My Lords, I hope the noble Lord, Lord Wyatt of Weeford, recognises that a difficult situation exists. It is important that we do not do anything to worsen it. There is a real danger of doing that and plunging the whole area into a worse civil war than now exists.