Sign In

This field is required

Remember me

Forgot password?

Request a free trial

And experience why a wide range of subscribers rely on us to be their eyes and ears in parliament

Already a member? LOGIN

Your information is secure. Privacy & Cookies policy

Find out more about our services HERE

Written answers in the Commons - Israel

Friday, 13 July 2007 13:14

Written answers in the Commons Iran: Israel Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has (a) taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations about the statements made by the President of Iran on (i) the right of the State of Israel to exist and (ii) denial of the holocaust; and if he will make a statement. [149356] Dr. Howells: The Government have consistently condemned Iranian President Ahmadinejad's...Request free trial

Written answers in the Commons

Iran: Israel

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has (a) taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations about the statements made by the President of Iran on (i) the right of the State of Israel to exist and (ii) denial of the holocaust; and if he will make a statement. [149356]

Dr. Howells: The Government have consistently condemned Iranian President Ahmadinejad's inflammatory comments about the state of Israel and his denial of the holocaust. We have made clear that these statements are wholly unacceptable, abhorrent and have no place in civilised political debate.

In December 2006 the Iranian government hosted a conference, in the guise of an academic exercise, which attempted to cast doubt on whether the holocaust took place. President Ahmadinejad's comments at the event demonstrated that the intention was to undermine Israel's right to exist. My right hon. Friend the former Prime Minister (Mr. Blair) publicly condemned the conference in the strongest terms and I summoned the Iranian ambassador to express the UK's outrage at the event. On 26 January the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning without reservation any denial of the holocaust. The UK strongly supported this resolution. Iran was the only country that chose to disassociate itself from the consensus shared by all other UN members on this issue.

President Ahmadinejad's approach towards Israel serves to undermine international confidence that Iran is willing to comply with its obligations and act as a respectable member of the international community. We continue to take such comments extremely seriously.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what commitments have been made by Iran to co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in resolving outstanding issues relating to Iran’s nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement. [147481]

David Miliband: Iran has a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has signed, but not ratified, an Additional Protocol to this agreement.

As the IAEA has made clear over a series of reports to its Board of Governors and to the UN Security Council,

“unless Iran addresses the long outstanding verification issues, and implements the Additional Protocol and the required transparency measures, the Agency will not be able to fully reconstruct the history of Iran's nuclear programme and provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran or about the exclusively peaceful nature of that programme”.

The IAEA has consistently requested additional transparency measures from Iran which it regards as essential to resolving these outstanding concerns.

While we welcome Iran’s latest declaration of willingness to co-operate with the IAEA to resolve the outstanding issues, it is essential that Iran provides full co- operation and transparency towards the IAEA, as it has so far failed to do. Resolution of the outstanding issues is something Iran should take forward as a matter of urgency as a member of the IAEA. However, it is not a substitute for suspension of Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities, as requested by the IAEA Board of Governors as a confidence-building measure and made mandatory by the UN Security Council.