Written question asked by John Austin (Labour) on Thursday, 2 April 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 April 1998. It was answered by Tony Lloyd (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 April 1998 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the consequences of the decision of the Contact Group to postpone the implementation of the recommendations set out in its statement of 9th March.

Answer: Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences of the decision of the Contact Group to postpone the implementation of the recommendations set out in its statement of 9 March; and if he will make a statement. [38183] Mr. Tony Lloyd: Members of the Contact Group have already implemented measures against Belgrade in accordance with their agreement in London on 9 March. In addition the European Union decided on 19 March to continue its arms embargo against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), not to supply repressive equipment, to introduce a visa ban against certain named individuals and to apply a moratorium on export credits to Serbia. The United Nations Security Council adopted a comprehensive arms embargo against the FRY on 31 March. Contact Group Ministers meeting in Bonn on 25 March urged Belgrade to engage in a meaningful dialogue without preconditions with the Kosovar Albanian leadership. They agreed that the Contact Group would meet again after four weeks to review progress and consider the need for additional measures.

Secondary information