HC Deb 09 February 1937 vol 320 cc232-3W
Mr. Hopkin

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has taken any steps with the Egyptian Government for the abolition of the capitulations; and, if so, with what results?

Viscount Cranborne

If the hon. Member will refer to Article 13 of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of Alliance of 26th August last and the annex to that article, he will see the steps to be taken by His Majesty's Government and the Egyptian Government regarding the abolition of the capitulations. The Egyptian Government have, in accordance with the procedure indicated in the treaty, invited the capitulatory Powers to a conference at Montreux on 12th April. During the last few weeks His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo and the second legal adviser to the Foreign Office have acquainted the Egyptian Government with the detailed views of His Majesty's Government regarding the matters dealt with in the article in question and the manner in which effect should be given to the article: and they have established the existence of a large measure of agreement between the views of the two Governments.

On 4th February the Egyptian Government despatched to the capitulatory Powers a note which contains the proposals with regard to the proposed transitional regime which the Egyptian Government are themselves putting forward. The Egyptian proposals naturally deal with those aspects of the matter which the Egyptian Government consider most important from the Egyptian point of view. His Majesty's Government hope that the Powers will receive these proposals most sympathetically, but think it necessary to make clear that there are other points which will have to be settled at the conference at Montreux which are not referred to in the Egyptian Note, and that a certain number of points which are dealt with in the Egyptian Note in general terms will have eventually to take the form of detailed and precise provisions in the future Montreux Convention.

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