To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to (a) the Portuguese Government and (b) the EU on President Mugabe’s attendance at the Lisbon Summit in December 2006. (148006)

The UK is strongly committed to the EU Africa relationship. We want to see a successful summit that agrees substantive co-operation in areas that really matter for Africa, for Europe and for the UK. We are working with the Portuguese, and other EU colleagues, towards this and have underlined to them our view that President Mugabe’s attendance would detract from this important agenda. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary stressed this most recently with his Dutch colleague on 5 July and will do so in discussions with other EU Foreign Ministers, including the Portuguese, in coming weeks. This was also raised during my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s discussions with the Portuguese Prime Minister on 9 July.