Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting between his colleague, the hon. and learned Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) and the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah in Abu Dhabi on 24 November, with particular regard to developments in the Gulf region.
§ Mr. MellorI welcomed the opportunity to meet Mr. Abdullah during my first visit to the United Arab Emirates. We had a useful discussion on bilateral matters and exchanged views on the Iran-Iraq conflict and the efforts being made to bring the conflict to an early end.
Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting between his colleague, the Minister of State, the hon. and learned Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) and the deputy commander-in-chief of the United Arab Emirates armed forces, Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayid, on 24 November with particular regard to bilateral relations and establishing peace between Iran and Iraq.
§ Mr. MellorDuring my visit to Abu Dhabi I met Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayid who, in the absence of his father from the United Arab Emirates, was acting ruler of Abu Dhabi. The visit promoted the excellent relations which exist between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Our discussions covered a wide range of issues of mutual interest including the Iran-Iraq conflict.