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Afghanistan

Volume 301: debated on Friday 28 November 1997

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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to maintain an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the EU's common position of 17 December 1996. [18275]

We remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods Order 1994, as amended.Following consultation with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence for the export of bomb disposal equipment for use by the Untied Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan in its demining operations. The grant of this licence is for humanitarian purposes, and is consistent with the purpose of the embargo.