Vol. 544 No. 3
203 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the procedures in place to safeguard Irish citizens and their property in Zimbabwe, arising from the activities of President Robert Mugabe and his Government. [29025/01]
The Embassy of Ireland in South Africa is accredited to Zimbabwe on a non-resident basis and has the responsibility for providing consular assistance to Irish citizens in Zimbabwe. Irish citizens in Zimbabwe may also seek assistance from the embassy of any other EU member state in Harare. I am concerned about the continuing deterioration of the situation in Zimbabwe. My Department is monitoring developments there closely and maintains regular contact with Irish citizens by telephone and e-mail, as well as through visits to Harare by embassy officials.
The EU has been engaged in a dialogue with the Zimbabwean Government for a number of months. The General Affairs Council on 25 June noted the lack of substantial progress in the dialogue and stressed the need for rapid and tangible results in the following five areas: an end to political violence; an invitation to the EU to support and observe coming elections; concrete action to protect the freedom of mass media; independence of the judiciary and an end to the illegal occupation of properties.
