Written question asked by Alan Duncan (Conservative) on Wednesday, 21 November 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 November 2001. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 November 2001 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the United Arab Emirates-Iraq free trade agreement on 2nd November; and what plans he has for the discussions on the issue to be held in Muscat in December.

Answer: Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Arab Emirates-Iraq free trade agreement on 2 November; and what plans he has for the discussions on the issue to be held in Muscat in December. [18038] Mr. Bradshaw: The UN "oil for food" programme, which enables Iraq to use the revenue from its oil sales through the UN to buy goods worth billions of dollars each year to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and to rehabilitate Iraq's infrastructure, has led to significant growth in Iraq's trade with its neighbours. We have no objection to agreements to promote this trade to benefit the Iraqi people, provided that such agreements neither breach UN controls, for example by promoting the export from Iraq of goods other than crude oil, nor contribute to the Iraqi regime's aim to engineer the lifting of UN controls without having to meet its international obligations, particularly on disarmament. We are not aware of any plans to discuss this issue in Muscat.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 18038; 375 c990W
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Iraq Trade Trade agreements Foreign trade United Arab Emirates Muscat
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk