Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2013
78. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community continues to support the peace process in Colombia with particular reference to the need to achieve specific targets by autumn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23610/13]
View answerI strongly support the Colombian peace process and hope that the ongoing negotiations will bring an end to the long conflict there that has caused much suffering. From the outset, the peace talks have received strong support from the European Union and the wider international community. In the latest joint communiqué from the peace talks in Havana, published on 3rd May, the delegations noted progress achieved on a number of areas under discussion and also reiterated their appreciation to Cuba, Norway, Venezuela and Chile. These countries are, at the request of the parties to the talks, playing a helpful role as facilitators to the process. The European Union continues to follow closely the progress of negotiations, and has declared its readiness to provide support for activities that promote peace, truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation.
Ireland supports fully this approach, and stands ready within available means to share our experiences, if invited to do so by the parties to the process. I had the opportunity to meet with Colombia’s President Santos last January on the margins of the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean countries) Summit in Chile and I assured him of Ireland’s support for the negotiations. President Santos told me of his interest in our own peace process and said that the Colombian process has already incorporated some useful lessons from it. In the course of our conversation, we spoke also of the visit to Colombia by the delegation from Northern Ireland last year and President Santos recalled the useful discussions that had taken place during that visit. I told President Santos that Ireland understands very well the challenges as well as the opportunities represented by this peace process and I expressed the hope that a successful outcome can be reached in the talks underway.
