Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 February 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 February 1998. It was answered by Derek Fatchett (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 February 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 reasons other members of the (a) United Nations Security Council and (b) European Union Council of Ministers, who oppose a military attack on Iraq, have given to Her Majesty's Government for their opposition to such action.

Answer: Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reasons other members of the (a) United Nations Security Council and (b) European Union Council of Ministers, who oppose a military attack on Iraq, have given to Her Majesty's Government for their opposition to such action. [30982] Mr. Fatchett: The agreement reached by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, was the culmination of intensive diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis with Iraq. But as the Secretary General himself stated at his press conference in Baghdad, progress was achieved only because diplomatic efforts were backed up by the credible threat of military force. The vast majority of EU Member States and most Security Council members have said publicly that they would not rule out the use of force against Iraq if efforts to secure a diplomatic solution failed.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 30982; 307 c239-40W;307 c240W
Session: 1997-98
Subjects: Armed forces Deployment Iraq Council of Ministers Peace negotiations UN Security Council Annan, Kofi