§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further contact he has had with the Turkmen Foreign Minister concerning the continuing incarceration of Shageldy Atakov; and what representations he has made to the Turkmen authorities concerning the persecution of Christians in Turkmenistan. [3837]
§ Peter HainSince the then Minister for Europe's reply to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 11 May 2001,Official Report, column 452W, the US embassy, with the agreement of the Turkmen authorities, offered Mr. Atakov asylum in the US. Mr. Atakov rejected this offer. The UK, together with EU partners, continues regularly to raise the case of Mr. Atakov with the Turkmen authorities. At a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 21 June, the EU Presidency pressed the Turkmen OSCE representative for Mr. Atakov's release. We also seek every opportunity to raise with the Turkmen Foreign Ministry the wider issue of persecution of Christians in Turkmenistan. Our ambassador in Ashgabat will raise the issue when he makes his introductory call on the new Turkmen Foreign Minister, Rashid Meredov.