Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 April 2008
320 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list those members of the United Nations with whom Ireland does not have diplomatic relations; if he has discouraged any of those countries from establishing diplomatic relations on a resident basis; if he has discouraged any of those countries from establishing diplomatic relations on a non-resident basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13848/08]
View answerThere are 192 members of the United Nations. Of these, Ireland does not have diplomatic relations with the following 25 countries:
Benin
Bhutan
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Comoros
Dominican Republic
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Grenada
Guinea
Haiti
Madagascar
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Sao Tome & Principe
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Suriname
Swaziland
Togo
Tonga
Turkmenistan
My Department is currently processing requests from three of the above countries to establish diplomatic relations with Ireland for the first time. The question of my discouraging any of these 25 countries from establishing diplomatic relations on a residential or non-residential basis does not arise. Indeed, the normal practice is for the Government to accede to requests to establish diplomatic relations and to accredit an Ambassador on either a resident or non-resident basis, irrespective of whether an Irish Ambassador is accredited to the particular country concerned.
As the Deputy is aware, in the case of Burma, the Government has made it clear to the Burmese authorities that no steps will be taken to accredit their Ambassador in London on a non-residential basis, until a number of developments in that country have taken place, in particular the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
