Iraqi Kurdistan (Hansard, 7 September 2004)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are represented in northern Iraq by the Office of the British Embassy in Kirkuk. There are no current plans to open a consulate in Erbil.

§ Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, I thank the Minister for confirming the position. When I visited Iraqi Kurdistan in August, this was an issue of major concern. It appears quite illogical for the Government to expect people to travel from a safe area in Iraqi Kurdistan to an unsafe area in Kirkuk to obtain a British visa. The FCO seems to be indulging in a somewhat contradictory policy in this area. UKTI sponsored a conference on direct investment in Iraqi Kurdistan only in June. Is it not time that the Government adopted a consistent policy towards trade with Iraqi Kurdistan?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, we are adopting a consistent policy. I am glad that the noble Lord visited the region in August, but I am surprised to hear him say that it is a matter of major concern. It is certainly a matter of concern; it has been raised with me, and I understand that there has been some disappointment among some of our Kurdish 441 interlocutors that the embassy office is based in Kirkuk rather than Erbil. However, most of those with whom I have spoken have expressed satisfaction that there is a third office in addition to the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Basra.
Let us be clear: there are no current plans to open an office in Erbil, but none of the decisions is set in concrete. We will watch security developments; security in part informs the decision. We shall also watch developments on constitutional issues over the next period and, if necessary, the location can be reviewed.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, is the Minister in a position to say whether the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan regional Government raised the matter personally with Mr Straw in their meeting on 24 June? Do the regional Administration consider, if there is a consulate in Kirkuk, and now possibly one in Mosul, that after the boundaries between the regions are decided by the transitional government in January 2005 the northern region may be left without consular representation, which would be harmful not only to inward investment—as my noble friend said—but to the possible development of tourism and academic and cultural exchanges between Britain and the Kurdish region?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, it is precisely because the situation in Iraq is developing and we do not know the likely future constitutional position of Erbil and Kirkuk that I placed a caveat on my remarks to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, about keeping matters under review.
The noble Lord, Lord Avebury, is right to say that the issues have been raised, but they were not raised in the spirit of despair that the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, seemed to imply in his supplementary question.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, the Minister will be aware that over a long period Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials travelled from Ankara to Iraqi-Kurdistan. Does she agree that that strengthens the case for moving the existing office from Kirkuk to Erbil or somewhere similar?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I cannot agree. Our representative in Kirkuk, Mr Noel Guckian, has been travelling to Erbil. He has seen the leaders of both the principal Kurdish parties and, from the most recent reports of meetings that he has held in the past week, which I received from him only this morning, I would say that he has established excellent relationships.
Your Lordships should not underestimate the importance of Kirkuk, which is a key city politically, as many noble Lords know. Many of your Lordships will also know that it is the subject of a great deal of controversy because of the policy of Arabisation pursued by Saddam Hussein. To answer the point made by the noble Lord. Lord Clement-Jones, I would say that it is also of enormous commercial importance.
442 We cannot have an office everywhere. I have told your Lordships that this is where the decision has been taken for now, but the issues are not set in concrete. If there is a reason to change in the future, we will consider it properly.

§ Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, Kirkuk is not currently in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Minister mentioned security. Has she taken account of the fact that Iraqi Kurdistan is far more secure than Kirkuk? When will the decision about the location of a consulate in Erbil be reviewed?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, of course specific issues of security were a major consideration in taking the decision. The noble Lord has reached his conclusions, but I am bound to tell him that the FCO experts on the ground gave very different advice. Their advice was that the security that we were able to offer to those operating out of the British office in Kirkuk was likely to be better and therefore the costs would be lower, which is an important consideration.
I have said not that the issue will be reviewed but that it is not set in concrete and if there is reason to review it in the future my colleagues and I will willingly do so.