HC Deb 25 October 1999 vol 336 c740W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) UK and (b) other representatives on the South Eastern Europe Regional Table and Working Tables on (i) democratisation and human rights, (ii) economic reconstruction and (iii) security issues; what timetable and action plans have been devised for meetings of these groups; who will be the chairs of the individual tables; and if he will make a statement. [95691]

Mr. Vaz

The UK's representatives at the first Stability Pact Working Table meetings were as follows:

  1. (i) Democratisation and Human Rights—Our delegation was led by the Head of the Foreign Office Information Department (to present the UK's proposal for a Media Charter) with support from Eastern Adriatic Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There were also delegates from the Department for International Development and our delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.
  2. (ii) Economic Reconstruction—Our delegation was led by a representative from Economic Policy Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There were also representatives from the Foreign Office Eastern Adriatic Department and from the Department for International Development.
  3. (iii) Security Issues—Representatives from the Foreign Office's Eastern Adriatic Department and, for the Justice and Home Affairs Sub-Table, from Human Rights Policy Department within the FCO.

Attendance at Working Table meetings is flexible and appropriate experts will be called upon as necessary.

Other representatives at the three Working Tables are from Foreign Ministries and other government experts from full Participants, Facilitators and Observers to the Stability Pact.

The Work Plan for the Pact was agreed at the first Regional Table meeting on 16 September. All three Working Tables met in the first half of October. They are all due to meet again end January/early February 2000.

The Chairs of the individual Tables are: Democracy and Human Rights—Max van der Stoel (OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities) Economic Reconstruction—Fabrizio Saccomanni (Director General for International Affairs, Central Bank of Italy) Security Issues—Jan Eliasson (State Secretary, Foreign Ministry of Sweden)

The United Kingdom remains committed to the Stability Pact as a force for co-operation, change and peace in the region. We look forward to concrete progress following the Working Table meetings, but impetus must come from the countries of the region.

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