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European Constitution

Mr. Dorrell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which member states of the European Union are committed to holding a referendum on the proposed European Constitution. [166119]

Mr. MacShane: A new EU treaty would need to be ratified according to the individual constitutional traditions and requirements of each of the member states. All 25 member states would have to ratify before a Constitutional Treaty would come into effect. Only a few member states have made a formal announcement on whether they intend to hold a referendum on the outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference. Of these, three have declared they will hold a referendum: Ireland. Denmark and Luxembourg. Most countries have yet to make a decision.

Georgia

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Georgian Ambassador concerning the current dispute between the Ajara region and the Government of Georgia; and if he will make a statement. [165017]

Mr. Rammell: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have raised with the new Georgian Ambassador the dispute between the central authorities in Tbilisi and the regional Ajaran leader Aslan Abashidze, which came to a head after President Saakashvili was denied access to Ajara on 14 March. Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have yet met the Ambassador, who presented his credentials to HM The Queen on 23 March.

EU Heads of Mission in Tbilisi, including the UK Chargé d'Affaires raised Ajara with the Georgian Foreign Minister on 25 March. They stressed their strong support for Georgia's territorial integrity; expressed their concern at the recent increase in tensions between Tbilisi and Batumi and urged both sides to refrain from actions likely to increase tensions further; and to engage in dialogue with a view to a peaceful resolution of the differences. Similar messages were given to Aslan Abashidze when Heikke Talvitie, the EU Special Representative, met him on 31 March accompanied by representatives of the local EU Troika (including the UK).

We welcome the agreements reached between President Saakashvili and Asian Abashidze when they met in Batumi on 18 March. It is important for Georgia's stability and prosperity that the Ajaran region contributes to central budgetary funds.

We welcome the fact that Georgian parliamentary elections held on 28 March passed off peacefully in the Ajaran region.

Israel

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has given to Israel to help defend itself against terrorist attacks from the West Bank and Gaza. [165391]

 
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Mr. Rammell: The UK supports all Israel's efforts to defend itself against terrorism which are consistent with international law.

The UK has taken action against numerous terrorist groups, including those involved in attacks in Israel. In 2001, we proscribed Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the military wing of Hamas. In September last year, the EU took action to freeze the assets of the whole of Hamas and, on 24 March this year, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a freeze on the UK assets of five leading members of Hamas.

We have publicly condemned the terrorist atrocities committed against Israeli civilians and urged the Palestinian Authority to take immediate steps to stop violence and improve security. We are supporting the Palestinians in their efforts through provision of advice and non-lethal equipment and we have assisted the Israeli authorities' investigations into terrorist attacks against Israel by UK nationals.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the steps Israel can legitimately take to defend herself against terrorist attacks from the West Bank and Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [165393]

Mr. Rammell: Israel can take all steps open to governments to defend themselves against terrorism which are consistent with their international obligations.

Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the basis is for his view that those sections of the Israeli security fence that have been constructed in the Occupied Territories are illegal. [165683]

Mr. Rammell: The construction of the barrier in the Occupied Territories is in violation of the Hague Regulation of 1907 and Article 53 of the 4l Geneva Convention, because the confiscation of Palestinian land and destruction of agriculture and buildings is not militarily necessary. The barrier could and should be built on or within the Green Line.

Kosovo

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the NATO Secretary General's message to the Prime Minister of Kosovo on the responsibility of the Kosovar Albanian leaders for the upsurge of violence in Kosovo. [166029]

Mr. MacShane: The NATO Secretary General condemned the inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo in his statement of 17 March and urged all ethnic communities to act responsibly to avoid further escalation. He also saluted the courage and professionalism of the Kosovo Force soldiers on the ground, operating at great personal risk, to stop the violence and uphold law and order.

I endorse the Secretary General's call for all regional political leaders to encourage tolerance and condemn acts of violence. As 1 stated in the House on 30 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1408–11, we need to encourage a new dialogue between responsible politicians both in Belgrade and Pristina. That
 
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relationship must be formed on the basis of common European values, the rule of law and democracy, and above all respect for minorities. I will reinforce this message during my visit to the region this week.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the recent upsurge in violence in Kosovo. [166030]

Mr. MacShane: The international community will not tolerate inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo nor tolerate attacks on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovo Force. The United Kingdom is committed to a peaceful, stable, democratic European future for the Balkans.

I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer 1 gave in the House to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 30 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1408–11. There have been no further developments.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he has received a copy of the report of the UNESCO Director-General's expert mission to Kosovo in 2003 to evaluate the state of monuments there and propose a plan of action to safeguard them; and if he will make that report available to hon. Members; [166031]

(2) if he will make a statement on the enforcement of the Hague Convention of 1954 on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and other pertinent international normative instruments in the case of Kosovo; [166032]

(3) if he will make a statement on the UK's financial contribution to the urgent operations recommended by the UNESCO Director-General's expert mission to Kosovo to safeguard cultural and religious monuments. [166033]

Mr. MacShane: The report of UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director-General's expert mission to Kosovo is not yet available but I have been assured that it will be made public in the near future. The UK has not been asked for any extra-budgetary funds following this mission. The UK already contributes over £11 million a year to UNESCO's regular budget, making us the fourth largest contributor.

Within Kosovo, the UN mission in Kosovo is responsible for applying those provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property applicable outside of recognised armed conflict. Recent events in Kosovo give this responsibility even greater pertinence. 1 will visit Kosovo this week and I will make the point that that part of Europe's history deserves our special attention and protection. The UK's continued commitment to the Convention was made clear at the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December 2003, where we co-signed a pledge supporting the 1954 Hague Convention with the Government of Serbia and Montenegro.
 
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