§ 93. Mr. Sorensenasked the Lord Privy Seal if British diplomatic representatives have now been withdrawn from the Yemen; under what circumstances, or for what reason, a demand for that withdrawal has been made; and if Her Majesty's Government is now considering the formal recognition of the new Yemen régime.
§ Mr. HeathIn a Note delivered on 11th February, Her Majesty's Legation were asked to terminate their activities in Taiz within one week. Mr. Thomas Duncan, who was in charge of the Legation, was therefore instructed by the Foreign Office to close the Legation and to withdraw from the Yemen; he left on 16th February.
69WHer Majesty's Government regret that the Republican authorities in the Yemen should have taken this step. There are many matters of common interest to the two countries, arising particularly from the common frontier with the Federation of South Arabia and the presence of many thousands of Yemeni nationals in Aden. Despite the absence of a formal relationship between Her Majesty's Government and the Republican authorities, the British Legation in Taiz provided a useful channel for the discussion of such matters.
This decision by the Yemeni Republican authorities will not affect Her Majesty's Government's policy of strict non-involvement in the internal affairs of the Yemen. Her Majesty's Government desire only friendly relations with what-even regime is established in the Yemen.
The position as regards recognition is unaltered since my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. W. Yates) on 5th February.