HC Deb 22 February 2000 vol 344 c939W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government have for an expansion of the heating oil to Serbia scheme. [110694]

Mr. Vaz

The initial response of the Serbian government to the Energy for Democracy scheme was to block the first consignment of heating oil at the FRY/Macedonian border. They were forced to let the consignment through after public protests in the towns of Nis and Pirot. The scheme has helped to refute one of Milosevic' s main propaganda lies, that the West is anti-Serb. The EU has now agreed to consider the expansion of the scheme to a further five towns: Novi Sad, Subotica, Sombor, Kraljevo and Kragujevac.