§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their policy for the ending of the conflict in Kosovo. [HL930]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)I refer the noble Lord to the statement I made on 10 March on behalf of the Foreign Secretary. (Official Report, cols. 128–138).
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ask the Chairman in Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to visit Belgrade and Pristina with a view to achieving a ceasefire and an end to repression in Kosovo. [HL931]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe 9 March Contact Group statement on Kosovo supported the OSCE role in resolving the conflict. The OSCE Permanent Council decided on 11 March to support a new mission by former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez as Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with a mandate for addressing the problems in Kosovo.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What role they consider that the European Union Troika has in preventing the conflict in and around Kosovo. [HL932]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWhile the EU Troika as such has not played a role in relation to recent events in Kosovo, the Presidency has been active on190WA behalf of EU member states: a Presidency declaration on Kosovo was issued on 2 March: the Foreign Secretary visited Belgrade on 5 March; the Minister of State, Mr. Lloyd, visited the region on 11–12 March as Special Representative of the Presidency; and EU Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Kosovo in Edinburgh on 13–14 March. I also repeated a statement in your Lordships' House on 10 March which provided details of the previous day's Contact Group meeting in London.