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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Ms Kingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2001, Official Report, columns 735-36W, on arms exports, on what dates in 1998, at which locations, and at what levels contacts were made between his Department and MINURSO; which department of the UN told his Department that refurbishment could be considered as neutral; if this decision was confirmed in correspondence; and what specific role MINURSO was understood to play in the monitoring and the refurbishment of guns. [154488] Mr. Wilson: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MINURSO officials had regular contacts, at all levels, in the region to discuss Western Sahara during 1998. As a result of contacts between FCO and United Nations officials, FCO officials came to a preliminary view that refurbishment of the guns would not breach the existing ceasefire. The United Nations Department of Peace-Keeping Operations in New York told us that refurbishment of the guns could be viewed as neutral. This was not the subject of written correspondence between FCO and United Nations officials. The FCO understood that, in accordance with existing military arrangements between MINURSO and the two parties, MINURSO would be in a position to monitor the procedure of the refurbishment of the Moroccan guns on the ground.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

154488; 365 c68W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Arms trade Export controls Peacekeeping operations Morocco UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara Western Sahara

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk