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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 1

Written Answers. - Official Engagements.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

128 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the outcome of recent meetings in New York between himself, his US and EU colleagues, the Iraqi Governing Council and the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. [22449/03]

During my visit to New York from 22 to 26 September for the UNGA ministerial week, I participated in an EU ministerial meeting with US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, as well as EU Troika meetings with UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and the Iraqi Governing Council.

At the EU ministerial meeting with the US on 25 September, my EU colleagues and I had a very constructive and useful exchange of views with Secretary of State Powell on a number of current international issues including Iraq, Iran, the Middle East and Afghanistan. The European security strategy and Cyprus were also discussed.

On 24 September I met UN Secretary General Annan as part of the EU Troika. In addition to a discussion on a number of major international issues, a political declaration on crisis management was signed between the EU and the UN. This is an important step in strengthening co-operation between the EU and the UN. We also discussed the recently completed EU Operation Artemis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, undertaken by the EU at the request of the UN. The success of this operation has provided a positive model for future EU-UN co-operative ventures.

Pat Breen

Question:

129 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will be represented at a LTTE meeting which will take place in the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22572/03]

A round of internal talks involving the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE, constitutional affairs committee is currently taking place, from 6 to 10 October, in the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation in Wicklow. These talks follow on from an earlier round of internal LTTE talks held in Paris in August 2003 to discuss the ongoing peace process in Sri Lanka. I discussed these talks with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Fernando of Sri Lanka during our bilateral meeting which took place in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September. Facilitating these talks is of course fully in consonance with the joint statement issued following the EU Troika-Sri Lanka ministerial meeting on the same day, which I also attended. The statement expresses hope that the result of LTTE's internal consultative process on the Sri Lankan Government's proposal for an interim administration will lead to their resuming the peace talks at an early stage with a view to ensuring that the peace dividends reach people in all parts of the country.

In the 1980s, the LTTE resorted to violence to achieve a separate state, Tamil Eelam, in the north and east of Sri Lanka. A peace process was initiated between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in December 2001, under Norwegian Government facilitation. The two sides subsequently negotiated a ceasefire which came into force in February 2002. Six rounds of peace negotiations have taken place to date. However, in April 2003, the LTTE withdrew from negotiations, claiming it was not receiving adequate dividends from the peace process. It claimed that not enough was being done to rebuild war-ravaged parts of the north-east and demanded more of a role in the administration of reconstruction funding. The LTTE has continued to honour the terms of the ceasefire. Following intensive negotiations involving the Sri Lankan Government, the LTTE and international mediators, the Sri Lankan Government put forward proposals for an interim administration in the disputed north and east of Sri Lanka. The meeting this week in Ireland is intended to give the LTTE an opportunity to fully consider these proposals.

The LTTE delegation consists of 11 negotiators and support staff. Two Sri Lankan Government civil servants will address the participants, as well as a number of international academics, legal and constitutional experts. The participants in the talks are to number 28 in total.

While the Government is facilitating the talks as a demonstration of its full support for the Sri Lankan peace process, and the talks enjoy the full support of the Sri Lankan Government, the Government is not represented at the talks. This follows the precedent of the first round of talks in Paris at which the French Government was not represented. The Government respects the nature of the talks, intended as they are to be an internal forum for the LTTE to prepare a response to the proposals for an interim administration. However, officials of my Department will have contact with the participants in the margins of the talks.

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