asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what countries were visited by him during his recent trip to Africa; the number of persons in his official encourage and the number of official meetings held in each country; and if he will indicate the purpose of his visits.
Written Answers. - Ministerial Visit to Africa.
325.
I paid an official visit to five countries in Africa from 27 August to 13 September, namely Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania and Sudan. I had also intended to include Kenya on my official itinerary but, because of the death of President Kenyatta, this had to be cancelled. However, I represented the Government at President Kenyatta's funeral and also paid a brief one-day visit to Kenya on the 26 August, in the course of which I took the opportunity of meeting members of the Irish community, heads of religious orders and so on.
As will be seen from the selection of countries which I made, the primary purpose of the visit was to review our programme of development co-operation with these countries, and to inspect our aid projects. I thought it essential that at this stage I should see at first hand how the Government's bilateral assistance programme was being implemented, and how we could build upon it.
Secondly, I have seen the need for some time to have direct political contacts in East Africa. We have no diplomatic mission in that whole area, and so our visit had a substantial political significance and utility. I had opportunities of getting from the leaders in these countries their assessments on some major world problems, in particular the various aspects of the situation in Southern Africa, the state of the so-called north-south dialogue, the renegotiation of the Lomé Convention and so on.
Thirdly, there has never been an official Irish presence of this kind in East Africa before. Some of these countries have considerable traditional and historic links with Ireland, and there are many Irish working there, and have been for decades. No Irish Foreign Minister had previously visited them since the establishment of our State, or indeed since these countries themselves attained independence. It was a great satisfaction to see how our visit was welcomed by the Irish.
I was accompanied on the visit by my wife and five officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The number of my delegation's official engagements, which consisted of both formal and informal meetings with Heads of State and Government Ministers, visits to projects, and discussions with project managers and official receptions was as follows in each of the countries visited: Swaziland, 12; Lesotho, 13; Zambia, ten; Tanzania, ten; and Sudan, seven.
I was agreeably encouraged by the deep fund of goodwill which existed in all of these countries towards Ireland. I am satisfied that this forms the basis of what can be a very mutually beneficial development of economic and political associations between our countries. The development of closer ties can also only be to the advantage of greater understanding between the democratic countries of the European Community and these African countries.