HC Deb 18 May 1999 vol 331 cc328-9W
25. Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the refugee position in the Balkans. [83524]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has estimated that ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia had resulted in some 1.7 million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons by the end of 1998. Milosevic's latest actions have added to this grim total. Some 743,000 Kosovo Albanians are now refugees in the region. Over 50,000 have been airlifted out of the region. Many more are displaced inside Kosovo, facing great hardship.

Milosevic is directly responsible for this latest tragedy. NATO action will not cease until we are satisfied that all Kosovo Albanians will be able to return in safety to their homes. This can be guaranteed only by an international military presence

Sir Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in resolving the dispute with Serbia. [83504]

Mr. Robin Cook

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes),Official Report, column 863.

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