To ask Her Majesty's Government in exercising their foreign policy, what are the characteristics of an area by which they regard it as a country. [HL5958]

As a matter of foreign policy, the Government do not take a view as to whether an area is a country. The term “country” has no specific meaning under international law unlike the term “state”. The issue is really whether an area or a country can be recognised as a state. The normal criteria which the Government would apply for the recognition of a state remain those that are set out in the Written Answer dated 16 November 1989 (Official Report, col. 494 ) by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. They are that “it should have, and seem likely to continue to have, a clearly defined territory with a population, a Government who are themselves able to exercise effective control of that territory, and independence in their external relations. Other factors, including some United Nations resolutions, may also be relevant”.