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Diplomatic Relations

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UIN 1126, tabled on 12 May 2022

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in what year (a) Eritrea, (b) Palau, (c) Palestine, (d) Somaliland, (e) Taiwan and (f) Timor Leste were were granted privileges in the UK within the terms of the (i) Consular Relations Act 1968 and (ii) Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.

Answered on

19 May 2022

The Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 and the Consular Relations Act 1968 give effect in domestic law to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations respectively. The UK maintains diplomatic and consular relations with Eritrea, which acceded to both Conventions on 14 January 1997, and with Timor-Leste which acceded to the Conventions on 30 January 2004; Palau, Somaliland and Taiwan are not party to either Convention. The position of Her Majesty's Government is clear that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace.