Bosnia and Herzegovina (Hansard, 9 March 2001)

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposals by Bosnian Croat nationalists to announce the creation of a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement. [153103]

§ Mr. Vaz
The declaration on 3 March by the self-styled Croat National Congress of Bosnia and Herzegovina made clear their intention to place themselves outside the provisions of the Dayton/Paris accords. This is utterly unacceptable. The Bosnia Croat people's future lies in the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina; their legitimate interests can be pursued only through full participation in the State and Federation structures.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many refugees, including internally displaced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are still without permanent secure access to their pre-war homes. [153108]

§ Mr. Vaz
According to the UNHCR, a total of 781,900 people are currently without access to their pre-war homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes 263,500 refugees and 518,400 internally displaced persons.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made in reconstructing Bosnia and Herzegovina's infrastructure and the institution building process. [153099]

§ Mr. Vaz
It will take some time to collate the information requested by the right hon. Member. I will write to him when it is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [153105]

§ Mr. Vaz
I refer to my answer to the right hon. Gentleman's question today,Official Report, column 395W.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been allocated by the European Union for refugee returns in Bosnia and Herzegovina for each year since the Dayton Peace accords was signed; and how much has been delivered. [153107]
397W

§ Mr. Vaz
It will take some time to collate all the information requested by the right hon. Member. I will write to him once it is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

§ Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his EU counterparts regarding the Bosnian Croat plans to create a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. [153104]

§ Mr. Vaz
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his EU colleagues about Bosnia Croat plans to create a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, EU Foreign Ministers will be meeting on 19–20 March for the next General Affairs Council in Brussels, and High Representative Wolfgang Petrisch will be present. It is expected that this issue will be addressed.
The Swedish Presidency issued a statement on behalf of the EU on 7 March, which condemned moves to create a separate Croat entity and reaffirmed the EU's support for the High Representative's actions, including the removal of President Ante Jelavic and three Bosnian Croat officials.