Bernard Allen
Ceist:62 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland will support the application made by Yugoslavia for membership of the Council of Europe.
Written Answers. - Membership of Council of Europe.
Yugoslavia applied for membership of the Council of Europe on 5 February 1990. In accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers has sought the opinion of the Parliamentary Assembly on Yugoslavia's application.
While not wishing to anticipate the opinion of the Parliamentary Assembly on Yugoslavia's application, our general position, and that of our fellow member states, as regards membership of the Council is that all applicant countries must fulfill the statutory requirements of pluralist democracy and respect for the rule of law and for human rights before they can be admitted to membership. Membership of the Council of Europe is a legitimate aspiration for countries which meet these requirements and we would support membership applications by them. Recent developments in Yugoslavia have given cause for concern in relation to the establishment of pluralist democracy, notably at the federal level, and full respect for human rights in that country. We believe that continuing co-operation between Yugoslavia and the Council of Europe can help Yugoslavia meet the criteria for membership.