Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2017
295. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has a policy of asking for a report on the way human rights, including the rights of women, are being improved in Saudi Arabia when visiting the country; if not, if this will be policy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22852/17]
View answer301. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on recent meetings he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart; the dates and times of meetings; the issues discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22846/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 301 together.
I met my Saudi Arabian counterpart, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, at the EU-GCC Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting last July. As we met in a multilateral context, we did not have any substantive discussions outside the parameters of the Meeting. However, the issue of human rights in the Gulf was raised during the Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting discussions. It was noted that although human rights is an area where the EU and the GCC do not always agree, the dialogue must continue, even if this means tackling difficult issues.
I travelled to Saudi Arabia last November, on what was my first visit to the Kingdom as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. In advance of my trip to the Kingdom and during the visit, I was briefed on human rights issues in Saudi Arabia by my Department and by our Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. I did not meet with my counterpart, Minister Al-Jubeir, during the visit as he was not in the country at the time. However, I did meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nizar Madani, and we discussed human rights, including the death penalty and the position of women in Saudi society.
As I have stated on numerous occasions, there are many human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, including, but not limited to, women’s rights, that are of great concern to me and to my Department. I would always raise human rights issues on a visit to Saudi Arabia but, as noted above, have only been on one such visit to date. My officials also raise these issues with their Saudi counterparts, here in Dublin, in Riyadh and in multilateral fora. It is Ireland’s policy to promote human rights whenever possible and appropriate, and my Department strives to maintain this principled position in all of its bilateral relations, including with Saudi Arabia.
