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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received concerning banned Zimbabwean Ministers being granted visas to attend the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels at the end of November; under what terms these visas have been granted; what role the European Development Fund will have in funding these visits; and if he will make a statement. [82785] Mr. Straw: On 7 November Belgium alerted EU partners to the request for visas to attend the EU/ACP meeting from Christopher Kuruneri, Zimbabwe's Deputy Minister for Finance and Paul Mangwana, Minister of State for State Enterprises. Both are on the EU travel ban list. The Belgian Government explained that under the terms of the Lome and Cotonou Agreements, Belgium had a legal obligation to grant these visas, since these agreements override Council decisions on sanctions. The Belgian Government undertook to attach maximum restrictions. The banned individuals were granted visas only for the period 19-29 November, restricted to the territory of Belgium. The meeting of the EU/ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly, funding issues and invitations to ACP countries, are matters for the co-Secretariat of the EU/ ACP. Once the invitation had issued, the choice of representatives from Zimbabwe was a matter for the Zimbabwe Parliament.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

82785; 395 c81-2W;395 c81W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Finance Entry clearances EU action Travel Travel restrictions Visas Sanctions Zimbabwe EU external relations ACP countries

Link

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