Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to propose to the UN Secretary-General that he commission a study of the effects on the economies of Eritrea and Ethiopia if the latter gave their unequivocal approval to the boundary demarcation between the two states, as determined by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.

We have no plans at present to propose to the UN Secretary-General that he commission such a study.

Resolving the ongoing Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute requires both countries to engage in political dialogue. We believe this would be in the economic interests of both countries, and contribute to reducing instability in the Horn of Africa.

We have consistently urged both Eritrea and Ethiopia to engage bilaterally and with international partners, such as the EU and the UN, to overcome the current stalemate. The UK, along with our partners in the international community, has underlined that the decision by the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission is final and binding. We urge both governments to respect the commitment they made in the Algiers peace agreement of December 2000.