Tuesday, 11 July 2006
House of Lords on Somalia

Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat) Hansard source
     asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the international Somali contact group adds value to the efforts already being made by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the United Nations towards peace and stability in Somalia; how they will seek to ensure that common objectives are pursued in these fora; and whether they will promote agreement among all concerned states on the development and territorial integrity of Somaliland.

Lord Triesman (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

We welcome the formation of the international contact group on Somalia. It provides a forum to co-ordinate international efforts to help to restore peace, security and good governance to Somalia and to deliver clear and coherent messages to the Somali parties. We want to see a stable and successful Somaliland. The contact group has not yet had a substantive discussion of the situation there, however.