HC Deb 11 May 2001 vol 368 cc455-6W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Nations security resolutions being contravened by Syria. [160984]

Mr. Wilson

We have a continuing dialogue with Syria about a broad range of United Nations Security Council Resolutions of direct relevance to them, including those concerned with the middle east peace process and Iraq.

Where we have concerns, we continue to seek assurances that Syria is not contravening those resolutions.

Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ballistic missile capability of Syria. [160986]

Mr. Wilson

Syria has a combined inventory of several hundred short-range ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 500km. We assess that Syria is also working towards a missile with a range of 700km.

Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara'a to discuss Syria's support for Hizbollah. [160985]

Mr. Wilson

The Foreign Secretary has no plans to meet the Syrian Foreign Minister, Faruq al-Shara'a before the general election. The Foreign Secretary last spoke to Mr. Shara'a on 18 April welcoming Syria's restraint in response to an Israeli airstrike against a Syrian radar site in Lebanon. The Foreign Secretary urged Syria to use her influence to restrain further Hizbollah attacks across the UN designated "Blue Line".

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