§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had regarding the possibility of the EU taking over Amber Fox in Macedonia; and if he will make a statement on his assessment of this development. [36845]
§ Mr. HoonI have had a number of discussions about the future of Operation Amber Fox. The Macedonian Government have invited NATO to extend the mandate of Task Force Fox for a further three months from 25 March 2002, with an option to extend for a further three months beyond that. NATO has accepted the invitation and Germany will continue to lead the operation. Therefore Task Force Fox remains a NATO mission.