I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 34 and 65 together.
The Government has already set out its views on the situation in Algeria in answers which I gave to parliamentary questions on 4 November and 11 December, in a reply to an Adjournment Debate on 2 December and in a report I made to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on 17 December on my meeting with President Zéroual, Foreign Minister Attaf and parliamentary leaders in Algeria.
The Government has emphasised its solidarity with the Algerian people, whose fundamental freedoms and human rights are being currently violated. We have expressed our deep sense of shock at the horrible massacres of innocent civilians, including women and children. We have raised the issue of allegations of security force involvement in certain of these massacres with the Algerian government and we have actively encouraged it to pursue political dialogue with all the democratic parties in that country in as inclusive a framework as possible. We have also been active at EU level in urging greater efforts by the Union towards the ending of the violence in Algeria.
Most regrettably the killings, particularly of civilians, continue though not at the same level of intensity as during the month of January which coincided with the Moslem holy month of Ramadan. Following discussions among the European Union Council of Ministers in early January it was decided that a Troika visit to Algeria should take place later that month. A Troika at ministerial level visited Algiers on 19-20 January 1998. Vice President Marin of the Commission also took part.
The visiting Ministers met with the Algerian President and Minister for Foreign Affairs, leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly, representatives of the media and local non-governmental organisations. The Troika had a series of open and frank discussions with the Government representatives. The subjects discussed included terrorism, the need for greater transparency — the Troika pressed for early access by UN special human rights rapporteurs — humanitarian assistance, which the Troika offered as a gesture of solidarity with the Algerian people, and EU-Algerian assistance in the field of economic and technical co-operation.
The EU group did not, however, achieve all that it hoped, notably with regard to visits to the scenes of the recent massacres and in the field of humanitarian assistance. While the Algerian government indicated its opposition to visits of UN observers at the time, it agreed to further ministerial contact and to visits of parliamentarians.
A group of members of the European Parliament visited Algeria for three days last week. They continued the dialogue with the Algerian government and with a wide range of opposition and NGO representatives as well as religious leaders.
I understand that a team of three Algerian ministers will attend the session of the UN High Commission on Human Rights in Geneva next month and also that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Koffi Annan, intends to visit Algeria in the very near future.
I welcome the fact that such visits are taking place and indeed, seem to be increasing. I remain of the view that the best hope of success lies through active diplomacy and I will continue to pursue that policy in dealing with this tragic situation and urge that my partners in the Union should also do so both individually and collectively.