Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 1991

Vol. 407 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Baltic Republics.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

41 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason he believes that none of the Baltic Republics has the attributes necessary in international law for recognition as an independent sovereign state since Ireland never recognised their annexation by the USSR.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

As I have stated before on a number of occasions, Ireland has never recognised the annexation of the Baltic states by the USSR which occurred in 1940. However, the question of recognition of the Baltic countries as independent, sovereign states is a separate matter. None of the Baltic countries exercises that degree of control of its domestic affairs or the capacity to conduct independent foreign relations which are generally accepted as necessary for international recognition as a sovereign, independent state.

The Government view with considerable sympathy the efforts of the Baltic countries to satisfy, by peaceful means, the legitimate aspirations of their peoples and, in conjunction with our partners in the Community, have called for dialogue between Moscow and the elected representatives of the Baltic peoples with a view to satisfying the legitimate aspirations of the latter.

Mr. J. O'Keeffe

When I raised this issue with him on a previous occasion the Minister told me that it was our practice to recognise states only and not governments. What I cannot fully understand is that while, I presume, we recognised the three Baltic states before 1940 as independent states, the Minister tells me we never recognised their annexation under the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement. Should we not therefore under international law continue to recognise these three countries?

Mr. Collins

The Deputy is correct when he says that we recognise states rather than governments. I am advised that the definition of a state for the general purposes of international law is a territorial unit containing a stable population under the authority of its own government and recognised as being capable of entering into relations with other entities with international personality and that it is a precondition for recognition as an independent sovereign state that the entity concerned be in full control of its domestic affairs and of its foreign relations. It is our policy to recognise states and not governments or parliaments. Therefore the question of recognising a Lithuanian, Latvian or Estonian government or parliament does not arise. However we accept that these bodies are composed of the democratically elected representatives of the Baltic peoples.