P. J. Sheehan
Question:27 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is considering changes in Ireland's ambassadorial representation abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16483/98]
Written Answers. - Diplomatic Representation.
It is not practice to announce ambassadorial appointments until the agreement of the receiving State to the appointment is received. I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly on the matter.
Trevor Sargent
Question:28 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, his Department has in hand to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, following the visit by Pope John Paul II to that country earlier in 1998 and in view of the fact that Ireland is the only EU member state which does not have direct diplomatic links with Cuba; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16375/98]
Eamon Gilmore
Question:68 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will consider establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, particularly in the context of the decision of the United States authorities to ease some aspects of the blockade; if he will press the United States Government for a full lifting of the blockade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16353/98]
John Gormley
Question:72 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he has discussed with his United States counterpart, or with United States diplomatic representation here, the continuing economic, cultural and trade embargo of Cuba; whether he has called upon the United States Government to respect and comply with UN General Assembly Resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17 and 52/10; whether he has drawn the attention of the United States Government to the European Parliament Resolution of 16 September 1993; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16374/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 68 and 72 together.
Because of the small size of our foreign service, Ireland is not in a position at the present time to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. However, the lack of formal diplomatic relations does not inhibit the maintenance and development of friendly contacts and relations with that country.
The Government wishes to see an end to the US economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba. We are working to that end in concert with our European Union partners. Ireland, along with all our European Union partners, has voted in the United Nations General Assembly in favour of calls for an end to the embargo. The US Administration has been made fully aware of Irelands concerns, and that of our EU partners, about the embargo and its extraterritorial effects.
I have placed on record in this House the Government's welcome for the statement by President Clinton on 20 March which announced a number of openings in US contacts with Cuba, primarily of a humanitarian nature.
The Government also wish to see the Cuban Government undertake sustained action to respect human rights and promote democracy within Cuba. Along with our EU partners, Ireland has voted in the UN General Assembly in favour of calls on the Government of Cuba to bring its observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba into conformity with international standards and to end the violations of human rights, in particular, the detention and imprisonment of human rights defenders.
Following the Papal visit earlier this year, a number of prisoners of conscience were freed by the Cuban authorities. I hope that these releases will be followed by those of other prisoners of conscience, including the four members of the Dissidents' Working Group.
In reviewing the implementation of the European Union's Common Position on Cuba last month, the EU General Affairs Council reiterated that the Union's objective towards Cuba remained the encouragement of a process of peaceful transition to pluralist democracy, greater respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and a sustainable economic recovery and improvement in the living standards of the Cuban people.
In line with these objectives, the General Affairs Council, at its most recent meeting on 29 June, decided to accede to Cuba's request for observer status at the forthcoming negotiations on a new Lomé Convention. However, the granting of observer status is without prejudice to any future decision on Cuban membership of the Lomé Convention. In this connection, the General Affairs Council recalled that full co-operation with Cuba, including Cuban membership of the Lomé Convention, will depend upon substantial progress on human rights, good governance and political freedoms in accordance with the provisions of the EU Common Position on Cuba. In particular, the EU wish to see an end to the obstruction of the Havana Ambassadors Human Rights Working Group, and the release of the four members of the Dissidents Working Group.