asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider with their European Union partners the proposal to reinforce sanctions against Uzbekistan. [HL681]
The UK will be closely involved when the EU next reviews the sanctions against Uzbekistan in February 2007. This review, established by the Conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in November 2006, will include an assessment on whether the expert-level dialogue on Andizhan (December 2006) and a structured dialogue on human rights have led to substantive progress on the ground in Uzbekistan. We shall continue to encourage the EU to ensure that its response towards Uzbekistan remains proportionate to the actions taken by the Uzbek authorities.