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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 5

Written Answers - EU Presidency.

Enda Kenny

Question:

170 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has been in contact with the Greek Government regarding the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27104/02]

The Government has been and remains in regular contact with the Greek Government at political and official level in relation to issues arising on the EU agenda during its Presidency. Last October, for example, in the margins of the European Council in Brussels, the Taoiseach had a bilateral meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, for discussions on the convention on the future of Europe and on the Greek Presidency programme. The Taoiseach has recently taken the initiative, with the Dutch Prime Minister, to write to Prime Minister Simitis, in relation to a joint Irish-Dutch proposal on the internal market for commercial services for consideration at the spring European Council which will take place in Brussels later this month.

Irish Ministers regularly meet their Greek counterparts in the context of issues arising on the Union's agenda, both at meetings of the Council of Ministers and, where appropriate, bilaterally. For instance, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources met the Greek President of the Fisheries Council, Mr. Georgios Dris, in Athens in January in relation to the Irish box.

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