Oral Answers to Questions

Dan Carden Excerpts

Tuesday 17th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Rory Stewart]

We remain very committed to working not only with the European Union but, critically, with the African Union, whose troops have taken a lot of pain and sacrificed their lives to keep Somalia together. The US, the EU and the African Union need to work together until the Somali security forces can build themselves up to ensure that the progress that we have made over the past 10 years is guaranteed for the future.

[Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)]

4. What steps he is taking to support a negotiated solution to the disputed status of Cyprus.

[The Minister for Europe and the Americas (Sir Alan Duncan)]

Following the collapse of the Cyprus talks at Crans-Montana in Switzerland in July, there has inevitably been a pause in any further negotiations. We are encouraging all parties to reflect on any steps that they might now take towards constructive future talks.

[Dan Carden]

I thank the Minister for that answer. It is disappointing that the talks have collapsed, but more progress seemed to have been made than at any point previously. Will he continue to work to put the human rights of all Cypriots at the top of the agenda?

[Sir Alan Duncan]

Like the hon. Gentleman, we all share the disappointment at the collapse of the talks. As he rightly says, they were as close as they have ever been, perhaps for decades, to reaching a settlement. Getting a unified Cyprus is the principal objective of the talks, in which human rights will of course play their proper part.