§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the UN concerning assistance to the people of Kosovo. [34858]
§ Clare ShortTo date, I have not held any discussion with the UN on this issue.
§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she will next meet her EU counterparts to discuss assistance for Kosovo; and if she will publish the agenda of the meeting. [34852]
§ Clare ShortI shall next be meeting EU counterparts at the Development Council in Brussels on 18 May. At present, assistance to Kosovo is not on the agenda.
The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) are continuing to monitor the situation in Kosovo and have already decided on a small increase to Kosovo under their global plan for 1998 agreed on 5 March.
§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to assess the aid needs of Kosovo. [34854]
§ Clare ShortOfficials of my department are meeting representatives of NGOs active in Kosovo on 19 March to receive an update of their recent activities and to exchange assessments of the current situation and needs.
Our current assessment is that although the situation is extremely serious, it does not constitute an humanitarian crisis.
We will continue to monitor the situation carefully.
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§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she plans to meet officials from the OSCE to discuss the assistance needs of Kosovo. [34853]
§ Clare ShortAt present, I have no plans to meet Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) officials.