ÖPIK QUESTIONS MILIBAND OVER COUNTER TERRORISM EFFORTS (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

Cymraeg
English

Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

ÖPIK QUESTIONS MILIBAND OVER COUNTER TERRORISM EFFORTS

December 11, 2008 11:01 AM

Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, yesterday questioned the Foreign Secretary over current efforts to curb international terrorism, particularly at the EU Summit.

During the debate on the Queen's Speech, Lembit asked:

"On terrorism, I would like to ask the Foreign Secretary to consider whether the forthcoming EU summit is a good opportunity to consider whether collectively we might seek to address the motives of terrorism without condoning its methods. It seems to me that on a collective basis, it would be a good strategic opportunity to apply the lessons of Northern Ireland on an international basis."

In response, the Foreign Secretary said it was a "profoundly important point" and the European Union did have a key role to play in enabling weaker states in the Middle East, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, to combat terrorism effectively through empowerment.

Commenting after the debate, Lembit said:

"This is a welcome appreciation by the Foreign Secretary for the continuing need to engage laterally on the causes of terrorism.

"I am very grateful for his comments and I will continue to question the Government as to how we can apply the Northern Ireland experience on the global stage to combat terrorism."

Ends/diwedd