Mary Harney
Question:1 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach the foreign trips he has planned for the remainder of 1995. [7562/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Foreign Visits.
I will visit Moscow on 8-9 May next to join the international commemoration ceremony on the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. I will also attend the European Council meeting scheduled for Cannes on 26-27 June.
In accordance with normal practice, details of any further visits abroad will be announced at the appropriate time.
Was the Government invited to participate in ceremonies in Paris on 8 May and, if so, will it be represented?
I understand that the President will attend those ceremonies.
Was the Government invited to attend them?
I do not know but so far as I am aware the invitation was extended to the Head of State, who will attend. That is more than sufficient.
Does the Taoiseach intend to raise the plight of the people in Chechnya during his visit to Moscow? The world press no longer seems to be interested in what is happening there and as a result the world generally is turning a blind eye to the plight of those people.
I most certainly intend to avail of the opportunity of my visit to Moscow to raise that matter. There is an enormous human tragedy unfolding in Chechnya. The Government believes that the indiscriminate use of force in this case is disproportionate to the problem. There have been serious abuses of human rights and fairly significant numbers of unnecessary killings of civilians, particularly in the village of Samashki. At the very outset of the conflict the Government appealed to the Russians to desist from this approach to the solution of the difficulties in Chechnya and it has supported the European policy of not signing the interim trade agreement with Russia until four conditions are met. These are as follows: first, there should be full co-operation with the OSCE permanent mission to deal with the situation in Chechnya and to provide mediation services and human rights monitoring services on the ground; second, there should be a ceasefire; third, there should be negotiations and, fourth, humanitarian aid should be allowed to flow into Chechnya unhindered. To date the Russians have only taken steps to meet the requirement in regard to the OSCE monitoring group which I understand is travelling from Moscow to Chechnya today.
I will raise with the Russian authorities my anxiety that the OSCE group be given every opportunity to intervene positively to bring an end to the violence. Yesterday I had the opportunity of discussing this matter with the Hungarian President whose country is providing the lead in regard to the OSCE group. This is a very serious issue and I will avail of the opportunity when speaking with President Yeltsin in Moscow to raise it.