HC Deb 16 December 1998 vol 322 cc601-2W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from United Kingdom embassies about the numbers and occasions of visits of heads of Government of other EU countries to(a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Slovenia and (e) Estonia since each of these countries submitted their formal applications for membership of the EU. [63561]

Ms Quin

British Embassies in Central Europe keep the FCO regularly informed of significant events in their host countries, including major inward visits. I am listing indicative details of visits made by heads of government of other European Union member states to the five Central European countries currently engaged in accession negotiations. The list for each applicant country covers the period since it formally applied for EU membership. Although careful efforts were made in compiling the lists to include all visits for which the FCO has records, it is possible some visits were made that are not reflected in the materials available to the FCO.

My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary place importance on developing strong bilateral relations between Britain and the countries of Central Europe. Visits at all levels play an important part in fostering these relationships. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has visited seven of the ten Central European countries that have applied for membership. He has met all his opposite numbers and has hosted all but the most recently appointed Central European Foreign Ministers.

Czech Republic Visits by other EU Member state heads of government—since 17 January 1996 French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, November 1998 Luxembourg Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, August 1997 Netherlands Prime Minister, Wim Kok, March 1997 German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, January 1997

Estonia Visits by other EU Member state heads of government—since 24 November 1995 Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, April 1998 Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, February 1998 Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, December 1997 Finnish Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen, November 1997 Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, April 1996 Finnish Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen, January 1996

Hungary Visits by other EU Member state heads of government—since 31 March 1994 Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, May 1998 Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Guterres, March 1998 Austrian Chancellor, Viktor Klima, March 1997 Austrian Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, October 1996 Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, October 1996 Austrian Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, June 1996 Austrian Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, April 1994 German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, April 1994

Poland Visits by other EU Member state heads of government—since 5 April 1994 German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, November 1998 Finnish Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen, October 1998 German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, October 1998 Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, March 1998 German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, February 1998 Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, January 1998 Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, March 1997 Danish Prime Minister, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, March 1997 Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, September 1996 Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Guterres, September 1996 Austrian Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, July 1996 Austrian Chancellor, Franz Vranitzky, October 1995 Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, October 1995 German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, July 1995 Belgium Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, January 1995 French Prime Minister, Eduard Balladur, July 1994

Slovenia Visits by other EU Member state heads of government visits—since 10 June 1996 Italian Prime Minister, Massimo D'Alema, December 1998 Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene, June 1998 Austrian Chancellor, Viktor Klima, October 1997 Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, March 1997