Seymour Crawford
Question:103 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans regarding visits overseas, foreign engagements, or other travel plans for the next six months. [26826/03]
Written Answers. - Ministerial Travel.
As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland will host the Presidency of the European Union for the first half of 2004. The programme of ministerial travel for the Irish EU Presidency is currently being developed and, while not yet finalised, I expect to have heavy travel commitments during the next six months.
As host of the EU Presidency, Ireland will represent the European Union in a range of regular meetings between the European Union and Third World countries. I will host a number of meetings of Foreign Ministers in Ireland, Brussels and in Third World country capitals during the course of our EU Presidency. While planning of dates and venues is still under way, I envisage, at this stage, holding political dialogue with the foreign ministers of the US, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Croatia, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.
During the Irish EU Presidency, we will also have meetings at foreign ministerial level of the ASEM process, which provides an opportunity for the EU to meet with a number of its Asian partners, and a Euro-Mediterranean mid-term ministerial. Both these meetings are likely to take place in Ireland.
Early in our term of the EU Presidency, I intend to travel to the European Parliament and to present Ireland's Presidency programme to the Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy. I will also use this opportunity to meet and brief the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. I also plan to attend the high level segment of the 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in March, where I will address the commission on behalf of the European Union.
I will visit South Africa and Mozambique from 21 to 25 November for bilateral meetings with Government representatives and also to see programmes supported by Development Co-operation Ireland in both countries.
A table outlining my other foreign travel plans until 13 May 2004 follows:
Travel Plans until 13 May 2004
|
Venue |
Meeting |
Date |
|
Brussels |
General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) |
17-18 November 20038-9 December 200326-27 January 200423-24 February 200422-23 March 2004 |
|
Naples |
IGC Ministerial |
28-29 November 2003 |
|
Netherlands |
OSCE Ministerial meeting |
1-2 December 2003 |
|
Naples |
Euro-Med Ministerial meeting |
3-4 December 2003 |
|
Brussels |
European Council |
12-13 December 200325-26 March 2004 |
|
Luxembourg |
General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) |
26-27 April 2004 |