Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Tuesday 22nd March 2011 Ministerial Corrections

North Africa and the Middle East

The following is an extract from the opening speech given during the all day debate on North Africa and the Middle East by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 17 March 2011.

[Mr Hague]

Iran, of course, is an exception to that. Iran has shown breathtaking hypocrisy in claiming to support freedom in the Arab world, while violently suppressing demonstrations and detaining opposition leaders back home—acts that we deplore. We want Iranian citizens to enjoy full civil, political and human rights, and all the benefits of an open relationship with the rest of the world, but that will require the settlement of the nuclear issue, where the ball is firmly in Iran’s court. Until Iran negotiates seriously on that issue, the international pressure on it will only increase.

[Official Report, 17 March 2011, Vol. 525, c. 499-500.]

Letter of correction from Mr William Hague:

An error has been identified in a statement given during my opening speech to the all day debate on North Africa and the Middle East on 17 March 2011.

The correct statement should have been:

[Mr Hague]

Iran, of course, is an exception to that. Iran has shown breathtaking hypocrisy in claiming to support freedom in the Arab world, while violently suppressing demonstrations and detaining opposition leaders back home—acts that we deplore. We want Iranian citizens to enjoy full civil, political and human rights, and all the benefits of an open relationship with the rest of the world, but the latter will require the settlement of the nuclear issue, where the ball is firmly in Iran's court. Until Iran negotiates seriously on that issue, the international pressure on it will only increase.