Thursday, 25 January 2007

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Somalia

Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her policy is on the independence of Somaliland from the rest of Somalia.

Margaret Beckett (Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

We do not recognise Somaliland as an independent state, nor does the rest of the international community. The UK has signed up to a common EU position and to many UN Security Council Presidential Statements, which refer to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia. Nevertheless, the UK is aware of the position of the Somaliland authorities and of opinion within Somaliland. We hope that Somaliland will engage in early dialogue with the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia and that a mutually acceptable solution for their future relationship can be agreed. We readily acknowledge Somaliland's achievements over the last decade and continue to support actively progress and stability in Somaliland.

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