MS 11 - Ambassador to Moscow

[Nicholas Eden (LAB)]

Mr Speaker I beg leave the rise and offer the following statement to the House.

Mr Speaker to say that relations with the Soviet Union have been complicated as of late is a traditionally British understatement. We all remember I am sure when Moscow authorised the murder of a British diplomat and the fallout of which caused the resignation of the now disgraced former Prime Minister. Furthermore the actions of a rogue Minister, thankfully foiled by the apparatus of the British state and the Government, risked undermining our relations further. It was against this backdrop that the decision was made to withdraw our Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Sir Rodric Braithwaite, out of fear for his life and safety. That decision was not taken lightly Mr Speaker but it was one we took and stand by.

Since that time Mr Speaker a lot has changed. The instability which ravaged the Soviet Union following the overthrow of Mikhail Gorbachev has receded somewhat with the announcement of a new Premier, Anatoly Lukyanov. I have received assurances from the Soviets that the safety of our ambassador can be guaranteed and that he will not meet with the same “accidents” that his staff did. It is for these reasons that I have authorised Sir Rodric’s return to the Soviet Union to act as the UK’s ambassador once again.

Mr Speaker the Government hopes that we will be able to enjoy cordial relations with the Soviet Union, putting the past behind us and moving forward in the spirit of watchful cooperation, the normalisation of diplomatic channels is a clear sign of both parties’ desire to return to the status quo. This announcement is a victory for Britain that makes the World a safer place and I am happy to commend this statement to the House for that reason.

[Roger Brigham]

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today to thank the Right Honorable Foreign Secretary for his job regarding our Ambassador in the Soviet Union, I thank him for his courage and for defending our sovereignty and role as a superpower. It's Her Majesty the Queen on Foreign Secretary's advice who appoints our Ambassadors, not the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. I thank our Government for preserving the safety of our diplomatic staff in Moscow and for preserving our sovereignty.

[Ruth Murphy (LAB)]

Mr. Speaker,

Well this went well, didn't it? 

Moments after the Foreign Secretary chose to make a reappointment, it has immediately been shot down by the Soviet Union. And it appears as if the Foreign Secretary has failed on his own terms. In choosing to reappoint Sir Rodric, he has strained those relations further.

Mr. Speaker, the Foreign Secretary's statement to the press is absolutely correct - the United Kingdom has the right to decide who heads the British mission to Moscow and the Labour Party expresses deep concern with what appears to be an act of aggression from the Soviet Union. However, it should always ensure it selects someone who can work within Moscow and crucially select someone who that it can keep safe. Under the Foreign Secretary's watch, we have already seen diplomats lost before their time. This leaves me gravely concerned, and I must raise some important questions:

Did the Soviets, as their Foreign Minister has claimed publicly, formally request to the Foreign Secretary that a new ambassador be appointed?

And crucially does the Foreign Secretary intend to keep Sir Rodric in Moscow, bearing in mind that with no diplomatic accreditation Sir Rodric and the wider diplomatic mission in Moscow will have very little influence and more crucially no diplomatic accreditation and the safety that can be guaranteed with diplomatic accreditation - put simply, does the Foreign Secretary believe Sir Rodric is safe in the Soviet state where he can be arrested by the Soviet government?

I look forward to his answers.

[Nicholas Eden (LAB)]

Allow me to make one thing perfectly clear to the House Mr Speaker, the Soviet Government do not appoint our ambassador to Moscow, international law is very clear on this subject. Yes, the Soviets requested that an appointment other than Sir Rodric would be preferable to them but I made it clear that we would appoint the best person for the role. A man with Sir Rodric's credentials, experience, and ability cannot be overlooked for the role and to appoint somebody else to placate Moscow would have been detrimental to the efficacy and efficiency of our embassy in Russia. So yes Mr Speaker I did reject a formal request from the Soviet Union that a new ambassador be appointed. Furthermore Mr Speaker as Her Majesty's Government recognises Sir Rodric and only Sir Rodric as our ambassador to the Soviet Union he currently remains there, we have no reason at this time to suspect his safety is at risk but we obviously continue to monitor the situation.