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Co(r)te D'Ivoire

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the peace process in Co(r)te d'Ivoire of General Henri Poncet's announcement on 18 January on the willingness of the French force in Co(r)te d'Ivoire to use force if asked to do so by the UN mission; and if he will make a statement. [210718]

Mr. Mullin: We welcome General Poncet's expressed willingness for French forces in Co(r)te d'lvoire to use necessary force when requested to do so by the UN Operation (UNOCI). This is provided for in UN Security Council resolution 1528 (2004). With UNOCI, French forces have helped preserve the peace by maintaining the zone of confidence separating the two sides, and have helped restore order after the recent violence; we value their continued support of UNOCI.
 
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had since November 2004 with members and representatives of (i) the French government, (ii) the government of Co(r)te d'Ivoire, (iii) the rebel forces in the north of Co(r)te d'Ivoire and (iv) the UN regarding the (A) size and (B)nature of the French military deployment to Co(r)te d'Ivoire; and if he will make a statement. [210722]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Chirac on 18 January and discussed Co(r)te d'Ivoire. The Prime Minister thanked President Chirac for the French role in supporting the UN operation. On 18 November my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary thanked Foreign Minister Barnier for French military assistance in the evacuation of British citizens.

Officials in London and Paris remain in regular contact with the French government about the situation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire.

We also participate actively in Security Council discussions relating to Co(r)te d'Ivoire as part of an on-going assessment of the roles and responsibility of the UN operation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire.

Cyprus

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange to meet representatives of the other guarantors of Cyprus to discuss the future of the island. [210063]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets his Greek and Turkish counterparts. The Foreign Secretary met the Greek Foreign Minister on 2 December 2004, and met the Turkish Foreign Minister on 9 December 2004. On both occasions Cyprus was discussed, among other issues.

The Government will continue to work with all the parties towards a just, viable and lasting Cyprus settlement and urges the two communities, and in particular the Greek Cypriot side, to demonstrate the necessary political will to that end. We stand ready to assist the UN Secretary-General in any new settlement process and fulfil our responsibilities as a Guarantor Power. In the meantime, we will continue to work to implement the EU's policy to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, in line with the appeal of the UN Secretary-General in his Report on his Mission of Good Offices of 28 May 2004.

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings he has held with Turkish Ministers to discuss the removal of Turkish troops from Cyprus. [210096R]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed a range of issues, including troops in Cyprus, with the Turkish Foreign Minister on 9 December 2004.

Our fundamental goal remains to work for a Cyprus settlement. The Turkish Government gave their full support to the UN Secretary-General's settlement plan, which included a provision for the phased withdrawal of Turkish troops down to a militarily insignificant level.
 
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Diego Garica

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the circumstances in which the Government of Mauritius told his Department that the Mauritius Shipping Company cancelled a visit to Diego Garcia for Chagossians and (b) the implementation of his undertaking to Chagossians that they be allowed to visit ancestral graves in the British Indian Ocean Territory. [210472]

Mr. Rammell: The British High Commission in Mauritius was informed in November 2004 by the Mauritius Shipping Corporation (MSC), a parastatal company, that the M/V Trochetia would be available for a visit to the British Indian Ocean Territory to take place in April. A provisional booking of the vessel was made on 29 December. In the meantime, I had written to the Mauritian Foreign Minister on 13 December to inform him of the visit and that we were entering into negotiation with the MSC. On 7 January the MSC informed the British High Commission that the M/V Trochetia could not be made available, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius told me on 13 January that it was he who had personally intervened to prevent its use because he felt it would undermine Mauritius' claim to sovereignty.

My officials are seeking to make alternative arrangements to enable the visit to go ahead.

European Constitution

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to employ the services of a private sector organisation to promote the European Constitution; and if he will make a statement. [210929]

Mr. MacShane: As part of on-going work to provide information to the UK public about the EU, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has employed a PR agency and is considering employing external support for partnership marketing and e-communications. This is entirely consistent with established practice—the majority of Government Departments engage outside agencies to deliver information and communications work in a cost-effective way.

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what guidance he has issued to his Department's civil servants on their role prior to and during the proposed referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union; [208549]

(2) what guidance he has issued to his Department's press officers on their role prior to and during the proposed referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for the European Union. [208557]

Mr. MacShane: Guidance to civil servants, including special advisers and members of the Government Information and Communication Service, on their conduct during the referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for the EU, and the period leading up to it, will be issued in due course. It will be made public. In addition, Section 125 of the provisions of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 will apply.
 
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Iran

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Administration in the past six months concerning Iran and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. [210075]

Mr. MacShane: The Government continue to have a regular dialogue with the US Administration on a wide range of issues of mutual concern. The most recent discussion on Iran's nuclear programme took place during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to Washington this week.

Liberia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had since August 2003 with members and representatives of (i) the EU, (ii) the governments of the member states of the EU, (iii) the UN, (iv) the government of the US, (v)the government of Russia, (vi) the government of China, (vii) the government of Australia and (viii) the government of India regarding the economic and security situation in Liberia; and if he will make a statement. [210723]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Liberia with the then US Secretary of State Colin Powell in January 2004. I have attended two meetings of the International Contact Group on Liberia, where I met senior representatives of the US, UN, France and the EU. I also met senior UN, US and EU representatives during my visit to Liberia in November 2004; security and the economy were among the issues discussed.

UK officials regularly discuss Liberia with the EU and member states at the EU Africa Working Group and the Africa Caribbean Pacific Working Group. There is also frequent contact between UK, US, UN and EU officials in Monrovia, New York and London. This includes discussions over the deployment of Irish, Dutch and Swedish troops to the UN Mission in Liberia.

The UK has had discussions with officials from China and Russia in the margins of the Security Council discussions on Liberia at the UN. I am not aware of any discussions with the Governments of Australia or India.

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