§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in their view the build-up of weapons in Greece and Turkey is contributing to the solution of the problems in the Aegean and in the Balkans generally; and if so, how.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyGreece and Turkey are parties to the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, which limits the amounts of equipment held in key conventional arms categories. Both countries have already destroyed over 100 tanks and will continue to eliminate equipment in order to reach new, lower levels under the treaty. Equipment acquired from NATO Allies must be accommodated within treaty limits.
These two countries' acquisition of such equipment does not affect their ability to contribute to the resolution of regional issues or of bilateral problems.