HC Deb 08 February 1999 vol 325 cc82-3W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from United Kingdom embassies about the numbers and occasions of visits by ministers from other EU states who are comparable in rank to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to(a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Slovenia and (e) Estonia, since each of these countries submitted their formal applications for membership of the EU. [67060]

Ms Quin

[holding answer 26 January 1999]: British Embassies in Central Europe keep the FCO regularly informed of significant events in their host countries. However we do not keep detailed records of all visits by trade and other Ministers from EU countries to Central Europe. To provide a full answer to the question would necessitate disproportionate cost. I am listing details of those visits for which we do hold records.

The FCO and the DTI recognise the importance of the trade relationship with EU applicant states in Central Europe. Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are priority markets under the joint DTI/FCO Export Forum Initiative. The DTI and FCO collaborate in export and investment promotion activities in all of these countries, including ministerial contact.

Poland—Visits by other EU member state trade ministers (since 5 April 1994)

M. Dondoux, French Minister of Trade, March 1998

Hungary—Visits by other EU member state trade ministers (since 31 March 1994)

No records

Czech Republic—Visits by other EU member state trade ministers (since 17 January 1996)

No records

Slovenia—Visits by other EU member state trade ministers (since 10 June 1996)

  • Ms Anneke van Dok van Weele, Netherlands Minister of Foreign Trade, September 1996
  • Mr. Bjoern von Sydow, Swedish Trade Minister, September 1996
  • Mr. Johan Ole Norrback, Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, October 1997
  • Mr. Piero Fassino, Italian Minister of Foreign Trade, January 1999

Estonia—Visits by other EU member state trade ministers (since 24 November 1995)

  • Mr. Anders Sundstrom, Swedish Minister of Industry and Commerce, May 1997
  • Mr. Leif Pagrotsky, Swedish Minister for Trade, October 1997
  • Mr. Antti Kalljomaki, Finnish Minister for Trade and Industry, December 1997
  • Mr. Leif Pagrotsky, Swedish Minister for Trade, May 1998.

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