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South and North Korea
11. Ms Sandra Osborne (Ayr): What steps he is taking to promote dialogue between South and North Korea. [120880]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Peter Hain): We have consistently supported South Korea's policy of engaging North Korea. Through a series of talks with North Korea, we have repeatedly encouraged that country to respond positively to engagement.
Ms Osborne: Will my hon. Friend send a message of support to the Governments of North Korea and South Korea as they embark on the process of dialogue? Given the example of East and West Germany, would it not be a great success if Korea could find its way to unity after decades of cold war division?
Mr. Hain: I very much agree with my hon. Friend. We welcome the announcement, to which she referred, that the leaders of North and South Korea plan to meet at a summit in June. We urge both sides to make effective use of the opportunities for dialogue and co-operation that the summit presents.
Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham): Does the Minister understand that it is not immediately obvious why a junior Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister in the United Kingdom should think it incumbent upon him to promote dialogue between North and South Korea? However, if the Minister wishes to take on such very important responsibilities, will he also take the opportunity unequivocally to condemn those Labour Members of Parliament who, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, supported North Korean communist front organisations? Will he therefore apologise to the Government and the people of South Korea?
Mr. Hain: Some interventions from Conservative Members are really off the wall, but that one takes the prize. If the hon. Gentleman is referring to the past activities of hon. Members, will he also condemn the activities of those Conservative Members who called for Nelson Mandela to be hanged, and who wore badges to that effect when they were members of the Federation of Conservative Students?
I am astonished at the hon. Gentleman's irresponsibility with regard to North Korea. That country has missiles, which it exports. It is very important that we promote peace and dialogue between North and South Korea to ensure that there is stability in the region.
Iran
12. Mr. Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow, West): What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Iran concerning the treatment of Jews, Christians and Bahais. [120881]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Peter Hain): We and our European Union partners have regularly raised with the Iranian authorities our concerns over a number of human rights issues, including the treatment of religious minorities in Iran.
Mr. Thomas: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that the 13 Jews on trial in Iran on what appear to be trumped-up charges of espionage have not been allowed to appoint their own legal counsel, and that their state-appointed lawyers have complained of obstruction? My hon. Friend highlighted Iran's recent record of discriminating against Christians, Bahais and Jews. Will he assure the House that he will continue to press the Iranian authorities to show proper respect and tolerance to all religious groupings in that country?
Mr. Hain: Yes, we will. I congratulate my hon. Friend on his energetic work on this matter--I know that he reflects the views of many of his constituents, including members of the Jewish community who are, quite rightly, worried about the way in which the trial is proceeding, as we are. That is why my right hon. Friend and I have consistently raised the matter with Iranian Ministers and will continue to do so. Although we engage with the reforming Government of President Khatami and welcome his electoral success, which has boosted the position of the reformers, we are also aware that there is a battle with the reactionaries, who are bringing their odious influence to bear on this trial.
Rev. Martin Smyth (Belfast, South): I appreciate the point that the Minister has just made. Will he emphasise to the Iranian Government that they cannot take their place in international affairs when they sponsor terrorism for Islamists elsewhere while persecuting their own citizens?
Mr. Hain: It is precisely because of the concerns expressed by the hon. Gentleman, which we share, that in our discussions with the Iranian Government--and we have established a good relationship for critical engagement and dialogue--we speak not just about business opportunities but about human rights violations.
Mrs. Maria Fyfe (Glasgow, Maryhill): Does my hon. Friend agree that for a woman in Iran, it is not required to be a Christian, Jew or Bahai to be persecuted? Will he discuss this aspect of human rights when he next has contact with the President?
Mr. Hain: I well understand the point raised by my hon. Friend. I would say that the treatment of women in Iran is by no means the worst across the world, but we continue to raise the issue.
Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North): It is bad enough.
Mr. Hain: It is bad enough, as my hon. Friend says, and I freely acknowledge that. It is precisely because we have established a relationship of critical engagement and dialogue that we are able to make these points, and have them heard. Indeed, human rights in Iran have improved over the past few years despite these setbacks, and we should acknowledge that. It is terribly important that the reform process under President Khatami is strengthened and continued and that Britain supports that reform process, because Iran is a critical country for the stability of the region.
Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West): Will the Foreign Secretary consider postponing his scheduled visit to Iran in July, unless and until such time as a fair trial is guaranteed to the 13 members of the Jewish community who have been arrested and are facing trial?
Mr. Hain: My right hon. Friend's visit has already been postponed once--[Interruption.] Be serious; some of the heckling from the Conservative Benches on this matter is ridiculous.
Madam Speaker: Order. I do wish that Back Benchers would contain themselves when questions are being answered.
Mr. Hain: Thank you, Madam Speaker.
We keep all visits under review at all times.
Slovenia
13. Mr. Paul Flynn (Newport, West): What proposals he has to improve the UK's relations with Slovenia. [120882]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Keith Vaz): The relationship between the United Kingdom and Slovenia is excellent. We maintain a close dialogue over Slovenia's applications for European Union and NATO membership, and warmly welcome the constructive role that Slovenia is playing in south-east Europe.
Mr. Flynn: As a signatory to the Council of Europe's charter on minority languages, will my hon. Friend commend the exemplary action of Slovenia in its treatment of those linguistic minorities within its border, which, regrettably, has not been reciprocated to the Slovene minorities in Austria or Italy? Italy has long delayed introducing measures that would assist the Slovene minorities there. In the Carinthia province of Austria, the Governor, a certain Jorg Haider, has recently introduced measures that are damaging to the bilingual Slovene schools.
Mr. Vaz: I welcome the action taken by Slovenia to protect minorities. My hon. Friend raises with me for the first time the position of Slovene speakers in Austria, and I will pass on that information.
We want Slovenia to be part of the European Union as quickly as possible. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that it has opened 25 of the 31 chapters of the acquis communautaire and has closed 11 chapters. Therefore, there are good prospects that Slovenia will join as soon as possible, and we encourage that. Of course, there will be tough negotiations ahead, but I hope that Slovenia will bring to the EU the issues to which my hon. Friend referred. It will certainly bring to it a country that has a diverse number of minority groups which live together extremely well.
Mr. Nicholas Soames (Mid-Sussex): Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is important that the United Kingdom encourages Slovenia in those endeavours, in respect not only of the European Union, but of NATO? What steps are being taken through Partnership for Peace and other NATO organisations to assist Slovenia to play a bigger role?
Mr. Vaz: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his very constructive comments. I am glad to know that he fully supports Slovenia's entry into the European Union and NATO. We have made our position on NATO clear: it is that all aspirants are part of the action plan that has been set out by NATO. I can give no guarantees here about who will join NATO. That is a matter for NATO at its next invitation meeting, at its next major summit.
However, the fact is that we want to make sure that Slovenia is part of the Europeanisation process that will bring it into the European Union and ensure that it is part of NATO's security arrangements. That will be a beacon of hope to other countries in the region, especially the Balkans.
Mr. Francis Maude (Horsham): Does the Minister realise that it is a bit patronising for him to talk about the Europeanising of Slovenia, which happens already to be a European nation? Given that one of Slovenia's principal aims is membership of the European Union, as well as membership of NATO, is not the best contribution that the Government can make to improving relations with Slovenia to reject out of hand the ideas propounded last week by Mr. Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, about the creation of a single European super-state? What countries such as Slovenia want is the creation of a modern, flexible European Union of the sort that would also appeal to the British public--in particular, by tackling the common agricultural policy, which is the major obstacle to the early enlargement of the European Union.
Mr. Vaz: I need no lessons in being patronising from the right hon. Gentleman, who could give seminars on how to be patronising.
The fact is that Slovenia wants to be a first-class member of the European Union--it does not want two classes of membership, it wants to be a full member. What the Conservative party and the right hon. Gentleman suggest is that there should be a two-tier Europe. Slovenia is not interested in that. It wants to be a full member, participating absolutely fully in what the European Union does.
We have made our position on Mr. Fischer's speech absolutely clear. It was a speech that he made personally, in his own capacity, and he did not state the policy of the German Government. Our position on this matter is also absolutely clear. We believe that Europe is a nation of nation states. Slovenia wants to be part of that.
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