asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is a governmental policy upon relations between the EEC and Greece.
22.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Relations with Greece and Turkey.
21.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is a governmental policy upon the relations between the EEC and Turkey.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.
The Government is co-operating with the other member States of the EEC in the formulation of the Community's policy on relations with Greece and Turkey. Ireland became a party to the Community's association agreements with these countries, subject to the necessary transitional measures and adjustments, by virtue of Article 108 of the Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the treaties.
As the Deputy will be aware, because of political developments in Greece, the application of the Community's association agreement with Greece has been "frozen". that is, it is confined to routine business on trade matters. The Deputy will recall that the spokesman of the Commission reaffirmed the Community's position on Greece in the European Parliament on 6th June.
As a member of the European Parliament for the moment and a member of the Committee on Relations with Non-Member Countries, may I ask the Minister if he shares my abhorrence of the regimes operating in Greece and Turkey? Could he give me some guidance as to whether in the event of my being invited to visit the said countries I should accept that invitation and in the event of my accepting such invitation and expressing my abhorrence of these regimes, I can expect the backing of the Irish Government?
The Government's attitude in regard to Greece is wellknown and, indeed, that of the Community. In that debate on 6th June, Sir Christopher Soames on behalf of the Commission made the point that, as he said, we are further away than ever from a return to democracy in Greece. On the question of where the Deputy should go for his holidays, I leave it to his conscience but would point out to him the limitations imposed on us by virtue of our being a non-nuclear power in any attempt to protect him if he gets into trouble.