§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What role they see for the International Court of Justice in resolving the range of disputes between Greece and Turkey; and [HL3316]
What is their estimate of the possibility of armed confrontation between Greece and Turkey; and what action they are promoting with others to defuse the situation. [HL3318]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)Her Majesty's Government believe that it is for Greece and Turkey to agree upon the most effective forum in which to discuss their bilateral issues. We continue to urge both sides to adopt an open and flexible approach, including over recourse to the International Court of Justice.
Her Majesty's Government encourage all efforts aimed at the reduction of military tension between Greece and Turkey. In this context, we welcome the efforts of the NATO Secretary-General to work with Greece and Turkey to build confidence in the region. In particular, we welcome the Secretary-General's announcement of 4 June 1998 that Greece and Turkey had agreed to the implementation of the 1998 Yilmaz/Papoulias agreements to reduce tension and avoid incidents in the Aegean.