asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in his capacity as President of the Council of Ministers of the EC, he plans any initiatives to help secure peace in Central America.
16.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Central America.
15.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the Contadora countries in Latin America.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together.
A significant step to help secure peace in Central America was taken on 28-29 September 1984 at the Ministerial Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, which I attended as President-in-Office of the Council of Ministers of the European Community.
There was a total of 21 participating countries, namely the ten member states of the European Community, along with the Commission of the European Community; Spain, Portugal; the five Central American states of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; and the four member countries of the Contadora group; Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela. All participating states with one exception were represented at Foreign Minister level.
The objective of the conference was to inaugurate a new structure of political and economic dialogue between the Ten and Central America. As I said in my opening address as President of the Council:
The present moment is a particularly opportune time for a new effort to foster and intensify that relationship, not only because of the forthcoming enlargement of the European Community to include two countries whose intimate links with Latin America need no elaboration by me, but also because the grave political and social crisis through which Central America is now passing calls for a special effort of support and co-operation from its European friends.
The Ten sought to provide support for the efforts of the states of Central America to bring peace and stability to that region. In an agreed final communiqué, the participants expressed their conviction that the process inaugurated by the Contadora countries represents the best opportunity to achieve a solution to the crisis in Central America. The conference recognised that progress has been made within the Contadora process and in this connection noted in particular the publication of the revised draft "Contadora Act for Peace and Co-operation in Central America". The Ministers, in the words of the joint communiqué:
called on the states concerned to continue to make every effort to bring the Contadora process rapidly to final fruition through the signature of a comprehensive agreement which would bring peace to the region. They were agreed on the necessity for a practical commitment to the implementation of any such agreement by all the states in the region and all other countries which have interests there, and on the necessity for the verification and control of that implementation.
Political developments everywhere are influenced to an important degree by economic conditions; in the particular circumstances of Central America, there is a clear casual link between inequitable and inadequate social and economic structures and political tension. Another objective of the dialogue between Central America and Europe, therefore, is to support and underpin the political pacification process by placing interregional economic co-operation on a more organised and perhaps sounder foundation than at present and thus to set the stage for an intensification of that co-operation.
It was agreed that existing economic co-operation would be intensified, with priority going to regionally-oriented projects and to those of a social nature such as health programmes and those designed to give assistance to refugees. The Community formally announced its intention to start discussions as soon as possible with a view to negotiating an interregional framework agreement. In the words of the joint communiqué:
Both sides considered that the conclusion of an agreement of this type would confirm the political will of both regions to extend and develop their relations and that it would also help to reinforce relations between the Community and Latin America as a whole.
I believe that the conference will have contributed to a better understanding on the part of the European Community and its member states of the nature of the problems confronting the countries of the region; of their aspirations for greater political stability and their determination to find a genuinely regional solution to the crisis which they are facing. I also believe that the meeting provided the Central American countries themselves with an opportunity to further their own efforts at regional integration and to attain a better understanding of each other's concerns. The joint communiqué bears ample witness to this and constitutes an important statement of the desire of all the countries in the region to promote social justice, economic development and respect for human rights and democratic liberties.
Does the Minister support the holding of free elections in Nicaragua and would he deplore any attempt internally or externally to interfere with them?
The holding of free democratic elections would be deserving of our fullest support.
Would the Minister accept that there have been significant developments in the area in the last couple of weeks? The Nicaraguan Government have indicated agreement to sign a treaty as proposed by the Contadora without modification. Would he use our influence within the Ten to insist that the US would withdraw their forces from Honduras and their blockade of Nicaragua?
I am aware of the important developments of the past few days. The response of the Ten would be to allow these matters to evolve in the beneficial way that appears to be emerging.
Obviously these things have to be allowed to evolve but unless there is movement on the part of the US the moves already made will come to nothing. Would the Minister accept that we bear responsibility because of our influence in the US and among the Ten to see that positive steps are taken by the US?
I should point out that dialogue is taking place between the US and Nicaragua on a regular basis, the last only a few weeks ago.