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  • Hywel Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hywel Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hywel Williams on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will call for the immediate release of the seven Baha’i leaders imprisoned in Iran since 14 May 2008.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have repeatedly expressed concern at the sentencing of seven Baha’i leaders in Iran to 20 years imprisonment. We raised the treatment of Baha’is with the UN Special Rapporteur at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014, and in our contacts with the Iranian authorities. We will continue to call on the Iranian government to ensure that all Iranian citizens are able to exercise their right to freedom of religion, free from persecution and harassment.

  • Guy Opperman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Guy Opperman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Guy Opperman on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he has made any assessment of the appointment of former Senator Daniel Filmus as head of the Malvinas Secretariat in Argentina.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We do not judge that Mr Filmus’ appointment marks a significant change in Argentina’s policy towards the Falkland Islanders. Rather we understand that Mr Filmus is accountable to Foreign Minister Hector Timerman, who retains overall responsibility for Falklands policy within the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Turkish government on the security and humanitarian situation in Kessab.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have regular discussions with the Turkish authorities regarding the appalling situation in Syria. We work closely with Turkey to coordinate the substantial humanitarian effort in the region and we welcome their assistance in facilitating aid delivery. Turkey is also a valued security partner of the UK. We work closely with Turkey to restrict the ability of foreign fighters to cross into Syria. We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important topics.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security and humanitarian situation in Kessab.

    Hugh Robertson

    We remain deeply concerned about the safety of all in Kessab and in all areas affected by the conflict. We believe that the majority of Kessab’s inhabitants, including most of the ethnic Armenian population, left the town because of fighting in the area. They join the more than 9 million Syrians of all faiths and ethnicities who have been driven from their homes by the ongoing conflict.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on which actors are currently involved in, or have helped to facilitate, recent violence in Kessab.

    Hugh Robertson

    We understand that a wide range of groups have been involved in the fighting, including Ansar al-Sham, and Sham al-Islam, as well as the al Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has updated its advice given to UK nationals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and Gabon or who are considering visiting those countries following the recent outbreak of Ebola in the region.

    Mark Simmonds

    We have updated our travel advice for the following countries to notify travellers about the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease: Guinea, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania and Cote d’Ivoire.

    https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

    We advise people travelling to the affected region to check the health advice issued by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC).

    http://www.nathnac.org/ds/map_world.aspx

    We will continue to monitor the situation in each country to ensure that our travel advice is up to date and accurate.

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Pakistan expressing disapproval of the recent decision in that country to prosecute a nine month old child for planning a murder.

    Hugh Robertson

    This is a matter for the Pakistani authorities. However, I am pleased to hear that charges against the child have now been dismissed by a judge.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Laos about the persecution of Christians in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our recently re-opened Embassy in Vientiane regularly raises human rights concerns with the Lao government, including their adherence to their international human rights commitments that protect freedom of religion and belief. Laos has seen some improvements in religious freedom over the past decade with a reduction in the number of long-term Christian prisoners of conscience. However, we are aware of cases of Christians being arrested for proselytising. The EU raised these cases at the last EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in February 2013 and we will press for it to be raised at the next EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue which will take place in Brussels in May 2014. We continue to work with the EU and other like-minded partners to raise our concerns about religious freedom with the Lao government.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to draw attention to the persecution of Christians in Vietnam; and what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Vietnam on that matter.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We highlight Vietnam as a country of concern in the annual Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights report published on 10 April.

    Our assessment is the Vietnamese government is allowing more space for religious expression and has increased the number of churches and places of worship approved for use in 2013. In general the Vietnamese are able to practise the religion of their choosing and a number of prominent Ministers, including the Prime Minister, are openly Buddhist.

    The authorities take a harder line when religious groups are involved in political movements, with persecution taking place in this context.

    Our Embassy continues to promote freedom of religion and belief in this atmosphere and meets with leaders of all faiths. In January they accepted a petition by families of Catholic activists on trial and supported an EU statement calling for the Vietnamese to uphold freedom of expression in these cases. Staff also attended meetings, alongside other EU Member States, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling for greater transparency over allegations that authorities had intimidated Catholics in Nghe An province.

    We also make sure to raise our concerns at a Ministerial level at every opportunity – be it through the annual UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue in October 2013 or the Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh earlier this month. The UK also runs projects deisgned to allow greater scope for civil society to develop and receive basic protections when raising their concerns and pursuing their beliefs.

  • Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Adrian Sanders – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Sanders on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Russian annexation of Crimea on the Moldovan government’s commitment to signing an Association Agreement with the EU.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government of the Republic of Moldova began to negotiate an Association Agreement with the EU in January 2010. Negotiations concluded in June 2013 and the text was initialled at the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2013. Throughout this period, the Moldovan government has been clear in its wish to achieve signature of the Association Agreement as early as possible. This position has not changed in recent weeks.

    The Conclusions of the European Council held on 20 and 21 March 2014 confirmed the aim of the EU to sign the Association Agreement no later than June 2014. The UK is working with our European partners to ensure the conditions are in place to meet this deadline, including through the appropriate Parliamentary scrutiny.

    The UK supports Moldova’s choice of European integration, which will help to bring greater stability, prosperity and democracy to all Moldovan citizens. We have been clear in dealing with Russia that Moldova should be able to make its own choices, including on European integration, without pressure from third countries.