Vol. 533 No. 2
56 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the matters discussed and any conclusions reached at this recent meeting with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and other US politicians during his recent visit to the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8407/01]
I met Vice-President Cheney, Secretary of State Powell and the National Security Adviser, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, during my visit to the United States from 27 February to 1 March. The meetings were extremely useful and took place in a positive atmosphere which provided further confirmation of the strength of our bilateral relations and the continuing importance which the new administration attaches to Irish issues.
In my meetings with the Vice-President, the Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser, we discussed current developments in the peace process, and they confirmed the Administration's firm commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and the US's intention to continue to play a positive role in developments in Northern Ireland. We also discussed developments in the UN Security Council, including our role as chair of the Angola Sanctions Committee, the current sanctions against Iraq and the Middle East peace process, particularly in the context of the Secretary of State's recent visit to the region. In addition, the meetings gave me an opportunity to brief the administration on Ireland's strong economic performance.
In addition to meetings with the administration, I met members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee. We exchanged views on a broad range of issues, and I briefed the members on developments in the peace process.
57 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the matters discussed and any conclusions reached at his recent meeting with the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Joschka Fischer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8406/01]
As part of my visit to Germany on 6-7 March, I had a bilateral meeting of about 40 minutes with Foreign Minister Joscha Fischer in Berlin on Wednesday 7 March. The meeting took place as part of the normal process of consultations with EU partners, and reflects Ireland's close relations with the Federal Republic of Germany. Minister Fischer has accepted an invitation from me to visit Dublin in late April. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on important and topical international issues, rather than to reach formal conclusions. Our meeting was followed by a brief joint press conference.
