HC Deb 16 October 2002 vol 390 cc854-5W
Mr. Pound

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK will continue to uphold the OSCE embargo on the export of weapons and military equipment to Azerbaijan. [74951]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

HMG remains committed to the OSCE arms embargo against both Azerbaijan and Armenia, which we interpret as covering all goods and technology controlled under entries in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 (commonly known as the military list).

In September 2002, the Government approved an export licence application for demining vests for the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Actions.

In January 2002 the Government approved a similar request for protective jackets for demining operations to Azerbaijan.

The decision was made in accordance with our practice occasionally to make an exemption to our interpretation of the embargo by approving exports of non-lethal military goods to humanitarian, media or peacekeeping organisations where it is clear that the embargo was not intended to prevent those exports and there is a strong humanitarian case for them.

Date Location Business
October 2002
1 Brussels GAERC
2 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
3–4 Brussels Convention Plenary: Subsidiarity & Legal Personality working group conclusions; interim reports on Charter & National Parliaments working groups
3–4 Brussels Transport & Telecommunications Council
8 Brussels ECOFIN
8 Brussels Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
10 Copenhagen EU/India Summit
11–12 Nyborg Internal Market, Consumer Affairs & Industry Meeting (Ministerial Informal)
14 Brussels Fisheries Council
14–15 Brussels Justice & Home Affairs & Civil Protection Council
16 Brussels EU Commission: Annual Report on Candidate Countries
17 Brussels Environment Council
17 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
20 Luxembourg EU Trade (Ministers Informal)
21–22 Brussels General Affairs Council
24–25 Brussels European Council
28–29 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
28–29 Aalborg Patent Protection: Ministers & EU Commissioners
28–29 Brussels Convention plenary: Giscard to release his constitutional text; Charter working group conclusions; preliminary reports on conclusions of Economic Governance and Complementary Competences working groups.
November
4 Brussels Culture Council
5 Brussels ECOFIN
6 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
7 Brussels Health Council
7–8 Brussels Convention Plenary—Complementary Competences and Economic Governance working group conclusions; preliminary reports on conclusions of Simplification, National Parliaments, Security and Justice working groups.
11–12 Brussels Education, Youth & Culture Council
14–15 Brussels Internal Market, Consumer Affairs & Tourism Council
18–19 Brussels General Affairs & External Relations Council ([...] Defence)
21 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
25–26 Brussels Budget Meeting
25–26 Brussels Industry & Energy Council
28 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
28–29 Brussels Justice and Home Affairs & Civil Protection Council
December
2 Brussels Meeting On Macro Economic Dialogue (Ministerial Trokia)
3 Brussels ECOFIN
2–3 Brussels Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
4 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
5 Brussels Transport & Telecom Council
6 Brussels Transport & Telecom Council
9 Brussels General Affairs Council
10 Brussels Environment Council
12–15 Copenhagen European Council
16–17 Brussels Fisheries Council
19 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
20 Brussels Justice And Home Affairs & Civil Protection Council
20–21 Brussels Convention Plenary-External Action and Defence working group conclusions
January
9 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
9 Brussels Agriculture & Fisheries Council (to be confirmed)
16 Brussels Meeting of the Praesidium
20 Brussels EUROGROUP (evening)
20 Brussels Convention Plenary

Back to