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UN World Conference Against Racism

Volume 491: debated on Monday 27 April 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations in respect of statements about the state of Israel made by the President of Iran at the UN Durban 2 anti-racism conference; and if he will make a statement; (271442)

(2) what discussions (a) he (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department plan to have with governments of Arab states on the statements about the state of Israel made by the President of Iran at the UN Durban 2 anti-racism conference; and if he will make a statement.

The UK condemns the hate-filled rhetoric of President Ahmadinejad and deems it offensive, inflammatory and utterly unacceptable. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his press statement of 20 April 2009 in response to President Ahmadinejad’s statement at the Durban Review Conference in Geneva that day. A copy of the statement may be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:

www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom

We will continue to make our views clear at all levels in discussions with UN members and other states around the world.