§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the US Administration concerning the International Criminal Court and the continued deployment of US forces in the Balkans. [64814]
§ Mr. StrawI have been asked to reply.
I have been and continue to be in close touch with my US counterpart on this issue, and in particular in respect of draft UN Security Council resolutions renewing the UNMIBH/SFOR mandate for UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. My hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) also discussed the issue with representatives of the State Department and the National Security Council in Washington last week.
The Government are committed to an effective International Criminal Court. We understand US concerns for their peacekeepers but do not share them. We believe that the Rome statute contains effective safeguards which make it inconceivable that peacekeepers will be, investigated or prosecuted by the Court when national investigations or procedures are being carried out. We are working hard with the US and other members of the Security Council to achieve a mutually acceptable solution.