Former Yugoslavia: NATO Military Activity (Hansard, 8 June 1999)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
My Lords, the peace deal which President Milosevic and the Serbian Parliament agreed to on 3rd June is quite explicit: suspension of NATO's military activity will occur after we see a verifiable withdrawal of Serb forces. That is what the Serbs signed up to; that is what we expect to see happen.

§ The Earl of Drogheda
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. It appears evident that the war will end soon. Can the noble Baroness tell us who will assume responsibility for the devastation caused to former Yugoslavia's infrastructure and its innocent civilian population as a result of the war? Who will foot the bill for that? Will Her Majesty's Government use this crisis to achieve an international responsibility for humanitarian catastrophes throughout the world which are the result of repressive governments?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I hope that we can be cautiously optimistic in the way that the noble Earl suggests. However, I remind him that the Balkans have been littered with broken promises and we have to see that verifiable withdrawal—I emphasise this to the noble Earl—before we can state categorically that the war is about to end. Of course this crisis has highlighted the need for concentrated action to stabilise the Balkan region and the need to accelerate our existing strategies in that region and to make them more 1296 inclusive. The strategy that we have adopted is intended to complement the German EU presidency's initiative for a stability pact for south-east Europe. We have wholeheartedly endorsed that initiative. The stability pact will provide for a multilateral forum involving in due course all the countries in the region. That will involve a number of countries doing what we can to increase prosperity in the region and to increase partnerships based on core democratic European values.

§ Lord Moynihan
My Lords, with your Lordships' indulgence I should like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister for all the hard work and effort that she has put in throughout the crisis in Kosovo to date to ensure that this House is fully informed both about events on the ground in Kosovo and also about the diplomatic process of negotiating a peace agreement. Confident of similar clarity to come, I ask the Minister whether she can confirm that the peace agreement taken to Belgrade by the EU envoy, President Martti Ahtisaari, and the Russian envoy, which is forming the basis for the drafting of a UN resolution, refers to the unified command and control for the effective international security presence to be deployed in Kosovo under UN auspices, and that this presence will have substantial NATO participation. Will the Minister therefore clarify which organisation will be in charge of the unified command structure throughout Kosovo?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I knew that the noble Lord's generous words would have a sting in the tail. However, he was generous and I thank him for what he said. Sometimes what we have had to read in dispatches has been sickening and appalling, as I know he knows. As regards the questions that the noble Lord addresses, I am sure he will be pleased to know that before I left the Foreign Office this afternoon to come to your Lordships' House to answer this Question I heard that the G8 Foreign Ministers had been able to agree a text to go forward to the Security Council. The hard work of yesterday and today has borne fruit and we hope to see that text adopted as a Security Council resolution. I am afraid that I cannot give any details of that at the moment because they were coming through as I left.
Of course the whole question of the composition of the international force is an enormously important one. We have said right the way down the line that the composition must be such as to guarantee the safety of returning refugees; that is, a NATO corps and a NATO chain of command. We have made that clear. The Russians are taking part in the discussions. We understand entirely that there are Russian sensitivities—I am sure the whole House is aware of this—with regard to the way in which this force is set up. However, we have seen similar forces set up in not altogether dissimilar circumstances. We have been able to take 1297 account of those sensitivities. We believe that with good will on all sides it will be possible to take account of those sensitivities again.

§ Baroness Williams of Crosby
My Lords—

§ Baroness Turner of Camden
My Lords, what compensation may the victims of NATO mistakes expect to receive?

§ The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington)
My Lords, I apologise to the noble Baronesses. The noble Baroness, Lady Turner, should perhaps ask her question first. There will then be time for the noble Baroness, Lady Williams, to ask hers.

§ Baroness Turner of Camden
My Lords, what compensation may the victims of NATO's mistakes expect to receive; or will these maimed, mutilated and destroyed people be told that they must wait to get rid of Milosevic first?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I do not believe that any compensation claims have been made to NATO. There has been some discussion of possible compensation claims. I am sure that any claims that are made will be dealt with in an entirely open and appropriate way. I think that we can do that. We know that there have been mistakes; we all acknowledge that there have been mistakes. We also acknowledge that there has been a quite remarkable degree of openness on NATO's part in saying what has happened when those mistakes have been made. I wish we could say the same for what has happened within Kosovo itself and the appalling and deliberate atrocities that have been committed there.

§ Baroness Williams of Crosby
My Lords, we on these Benches also thank the Minister for her great helpfulness throughout the Kosovo crisis. We add to that our great respect for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary for the extraordinary resolution and commitment they have shown throughout the crisis to the ends that they are now so close to achieving. Can the Minister say anything further about the relationship of the Russian forces to the proposed NATO command? Can she confirm that the KLA has promised that it will not attack any retreating Serb forces? Can she further confirm that that will also apply to NATO forces once they are satisfied that the retreat is genuine and complete?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her remarks. As she knows, I am a mere messenger to your Lordships' House on these matters. As she has indicated, the real thanks should go to my right honourable friends.
I hope that I have been able to assure the House that the sensitivities of the Russians in the peacekeeping force are well understood. We have dealt with those sensitivities in the past in similar peacekeeping forces; we hope to do so again. This is a matter which is under active discussion at the moment. We believe that there 1298 is sufficient good will on all sides to achieve the mutual objective. I can confirm that the KLA has said that it will not attack retreating Serbian forces. That of course will apply to NATO; there is no question of NATO attacking retreating forces. However, I emphasise to your Lordships' that we should not count the chickens before they are hatched. We have yet to see a single retreating piece of Serbian artillery. Although we very much hope it will happen, we must ensure that it is a verifiable withdrawal before the bombing stops.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, is my noble friend aware—

§ Lord Pilkington of Oxenford
My Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness—

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, I think it is the turn of that side of the House. Perhaps I should point out to the House that there will be a Statement on the matter later this afternoon. There will then be other opportunities to raise questions.

§ Lord Pilkington of Oxenford
My Lords, it is a brief question.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, does my noble friend accept that the House is greatly encouraged by the news she has reported this afternoon?

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, I think that perhaps my noble friend did not quite hear what I said I indicated that I think the noble Lord, Lord Pilkington, should ask his question.

§ Lord Pilkington of Oxenford
My Lords, it is a brief question. What policies have been given to the occupying forces to deal with the ethnic hatreds that they will face when they enter Kosovo? Serbia occupied the territory 80 years ago and this has been a feature of bitter hatred between the Albanians and Serbs. Can the Minister assure the House that the troops which will go in will be informed of the problems they face and that. Her Majesty's Government have prepared them for the problems?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords., I can give the noble Lord the assurance he seeks. We have made clear that any post-conflict settlement must protect all the people of Kosovo, regardless of their ethnic group, including the Serb minority.