HL Deb 13 March 1997 vol 579 cc32-3WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What meaning they attach to the statement made by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that "we cannot deny [the countries of Central Europe] a guarantee for their security that they desire and desperately need" (HC Deb., 26 Feb., col. 274) and what is the desperate need that is not satisfied by the existing OSCE and United Nations security arrangements.

Lord Chesham

As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in Washington, "For countries of Central Europe to feel secure, they need to join the European institutions: NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe".