HL Deb 20 October 1992 vol 539 cc638-40

3.10 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking, with other governments, to suspend the representation by Serbia and Montenegro of the former state of Yugoslavia in all international organisations until the future of the whole territory has been determined.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)

My Lords, we fully supported the UN General Assembly Resolution A/47/1 of 18th September which concluded that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) cannot continue automatically the membership of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the UN and that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should therefore apply for membership in the UN and shall not participate in the work of the General Assembly. This is serving as a model for action in UN specialised agencies and other international organisations.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for her reply. Does she agree that while an empty seat for Yugoslavia should be kept in these organisations the regime in Belgrade should nonetheless not be excluded from relevant discussions both as a party to a brutal civil war and also to help bring those responsible for atrocities on all sides to book?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his supplementary question. Once the countries have applied for membership of the UN General Assembly that will be the time the assembly considers the matter again. It will not occur before the end of the main part of the current session in mid-December, and it will depend on the situation at the time. In the meantime I can assure my noble friend that Belgrade is already included in discussions in Geneva. As a follow-up to the London Conference those discussions arc relevant, particularly in respect of humanitarian assistance. Resolution 780 provides for dealing with war crimes through the creation of an impartial commission of experts who are to assist the UN Secretary General in the collation and analysis of evidence of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. They will report to the UN Secretary General.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, will the noble Baroness kindly go a step further and tell the House what is the role of British troops in the former state of Yugoslavia? What are their rules of engagement, especially as aid convoys are being attacked on all sides? What is the command structure?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, that matter is a little outside the scope of my noble friend's Question, but I can tell the noble Lord that the role of British troops, as with other troops of the United Nations, is to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies. We do not announce the detailed rules of engagement in any circumstances for obvious and understandable reasons. I can assure the noble Lord that our troops will defend themselves and, in this difficult situation, will try to ensure that the many thousands of people at risk of starvation and death this winter will not die. That is the task of our troops.

Lord Bridges

My Lords, I return to the original Question. Will the noble Baroness kindly inform the House what is the status of our own mission in Belgrade at the present time? Is it accredited to the former republic of Yugoslavia or to the new republic?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, as we have not recognised the new state it is accredited to Serbia. However, at the present time we await recognition in the United Nations after application to the General Assembly before our mission can be accredited to the new state.

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the policy of ethnic cleansing is one of the most horrific and offensive policies seen anywhere since the atrocities of the Second World War? I do not imagine that my noble friend will necessarily share my view that the powers of the European Community have been rather slow to get a grip on the situation, although in some respects they may have now done so. Will my noble friend indicate the thinking of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the provinces of Kosovo and Skopje or Macedonia—call it what one will—and to what extent there is forward thinking in relation to the hostilities and perhaps the ethnic cleansing that may break out in those provinces?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that question. Of course we condemn absolutely all ethnic cleansing. We continue to condemn Serbian abuse of human rights in Kosovo. A special group on Kosovo has been set up within the ethnic and national communities and a minority working group of the international conference in Geneva. The aim is to press the Serbian authorities to grant the Kosovars genuine autonomy with full human rights and to persuade the Kosovars to accept something short of full independence. I would add that the brokered talks in Pristina on 14th October attended by the Serbs and the Kosovars were a step forward. We are encouraging them to concentrate on practical issues such as resolving the education crisis. There will be further talks in Belgrade this Thursday.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, the noble Baroness has been generous in the breadth of questions she has answered. Will she tell the House what she thinks of the effect of sanctions and whether the latest move in Yugoslavia is a backward step that will restrain the forces there that genuinely want peace?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I believe that sanctions are now having a marked effect, certainly on the Serbian economy. The noble Lord will know that we believe it right to maintain pressure and tighten the implementation of sanctions. It is for that reason that the EC CSCE sanctions assistance missions are in place with the aim of assisting the local authorities to enforce the UN sanctions more efficiently. They have now been extended to Romania, Hungary and to the Danube.