Vol. 447 No. 11
23 Mr. O'Malley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will condemn the Russian attack on Chechnya and, in particular, the widespread attacks on civilians with its total failure to respect human rights and democracy. [1470/95]
24 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason he has not been more active in expressing the Irish people's revulsion at the current situation in Chechnya. [1446/95]
40 Kathleen Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to meet the Russian ambassador to Ireland to discuss the current situation in Chechnya; whether he intends increasing Ireland's emergency humanitarian aid allocation to the region in view of the estimated 100,000 refugees created by the conflict; the measures, if any, which have been agreed by the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1434/95]
45 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will ensure that the interim agreement signed at Corfu in June 1994, between the EU and Russia will not now be ratified in view of the brutality of the Russian military operations in Chechnya. [1469/95]
62 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has for development assistance for Chechnya. [1425/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 24, 40, 45 and 62 together.
The situation in Chechnya is a tragic and complex conflict. Since the fighting began thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded, nearly 500,000 people have been displaced from their homes and Grozny's infrastructure has been virtually destroyed. Fighting is continuing in the suburbs of Grozny and heavy artillery and indiscriminate air power continue to be used on access routes to the city and surrounding villages.
The Government is gravely concerned at the tragic course of events which have unfolded in Chechnya. In response to these we have acted in five ways which I will outline.
First, we have unreservedly comdemned the grave abuse of human rights and high level of civilian casualties and have urged an end to the fighting and a negotiated solution. These concerns were set out clearly in our statements beginning on 24 December. Following a review of the crisis by the Government, I issued a further statement on 12 January in which I made it clear that the Government was appalled at the indiscriminate use of force by the Russian authorities and the continuing bombardment of the civilian population, I also called on the Russian authorities to heed the appeals of the European Union and the wider international community for an end to the fighting and for a negotiated solution. In particular I called for full compliance by Russia with its international obligations as a member of the OSCE and full co-operation by Russia with the efforts of the OSCE to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Second, we have made our views known directly to the Russian authorities both in Dublin and Moscow. On 21 December our Ambassador in Moscow conveyed our concerns directly to the Russian authorities when he and his European Union Colleagues met with the Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev. On 4 January we repeated our concerns to the Russian Embassy in Dublin. The next day Minister of State Deputy Gay Mitchell raised the tragedy in Chechnya directly with the Russian Ambassador. He emphasised in particular that the Government could not understand or condone the indiscriminate use of military force, the air raids against civilian populations, and the accompanying abuse of human rights and that the Government wished to see a negotiated solution to the crisis within the framework of international law. He also urged the Russian authorities to facilitate the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid. On 18 January, on my instructions, our Ambassador conveyed our views directly to the Russian authorities in Moscow.
Third, we responded promptly to the needs of the victims of the war and are willing to give further humanitarian assistance. In advance of any formal request for funds the Government donated £50,000 to the ICRC for emergency relief for prisoners and victims of the conflict. Last week, in Geneva, Minister of State, Deputy Burton discussed the humanitarian assistance requirements with the President of ICRC and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. In the light of Minister of State Burton's subsequent recommendations to me and the detailed assessment of needs contained in the ICRC's appeal for funding, I have decided to make a further grant of £100,000 from the emergency humanitarian assistance fund. The UNHCR is completing its assessment of the needs of Chechen refugees in Ingushetia and Daghestan. I can assure the House that we will sympathetically consider the UNHCR's appeal once it is finalised. At the EU level the Commission has donated 310,000 ECU to the ICRC and further assistance to the aid effort is planned.
Fourth, we have acted collectively with our EU partners to try to bring an end to the fighting and the opening of negotiations towards a peaceful solution. The European Union has been in constant contact with the Russian authorities since the beginning of the crisis. Following the meeting of EU Ambassadors with Foreign Minister Kozyrev on 21 December the European Union has expressed its concern to Russia in a series of démarches and discussions on 29 and 30 December and on 5, 19 and 14 January.
The EUs position was set out clearly in the declaration adopted by the General Affairs Council yesterday. This deplored the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law which are still occurring in Chechnya; called for an immediate cessation of the fighting and for the opening of negotiations to allow a political solution to the conflict to be found; and demanded that freedom of access to Chechnya and the proper convoying of humanitarian aid to the population be guaranteed. The EU placed its action in the framework of the implementation of the principles and provisions of the OSCE. The agreement given by Russia to the sending of an OSCE delegation, including a representative of the EU presidency, to the region was noted. However, we called for the delegation to be given all appropriate means of carrying out its mission and to be enabled to travel to Chechnya as soon as possible.
Fifth, we have promoted the use of the OSCE to bring an end to the conflict both in our bilateral contacts with Russia and through EU démarches. From the outset the Government considered that the OSCE might be able to play a helpful role in the search for a peaceful settlement, since it has developed mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution and for the promotion of human rights and the protection of minorities.
Overall the thrust of our bilateral and EU action has been to make it unequivocally clear to Russia that its handling of the conflict in Chechnya is unacceptable and to promote a negotiated solution through the involvement of the OSCE. At the General Affairs Council yesterday Ministers reviewed the situation and agreed to maintain this course of action but reserved the right to consider other options. With regard to possible deferral of signature of the interim agreement, this agreement, which is designed to give effect to the trade provisions of the partnership and co-operation agreement signed at Corfu in June 1993, is not expected to be ready for signature until mid-February for technical reasons. Ministers agreed yesterday to decide on further stages in their action on Chechnya in the light of the outcome of the OSCE mission.
Does the Minister accept that it is virtually impossible to deliver any humanitarian aid into Chechnya, that only those citizens of that Republic who have left it can receive any assistance; that there are hundreds of thousands of people deprived of food of whom quite a proportion are even deprived of commodities as basic as water? Would he agree that the original cause of this conflict, and the inability to help these people, is due to the actions of the Russians? Is he aware that always there is the possibility that some other of the autonomous Republics within the Russian Federation may want to remove themselves from that Federation? If that should happen, will we have a recurrence of the position in Chechnya in respect of some other Republics?
There are about four aspects to that supplementary with which I will endeavour to deal one by one. The main area where the conflict has impacted has been in Grozny, where there has been huge displacement — involving in excess of 400,000 people — and where the humanitarian situation is quite appalling. Bilaterally, and through the European Union we have made our view very clear, that the actions of the Russian Government are totally unacceptable. We want to see a negotiated solution. I am aware of the prospects in this region, in relation to other autonomous regions who may well decide on similar courses of action in the future, but at present what is important is that the European Union maintains pressure on the Russian authorities to ensure that they seek a negotiated settlement. It will be extremely difficult, given what has happened in recent weeks, but from the Irish Government's point of view we will maintain that pressure both bilaterally and through the European Union.
I welcome the allocation of the additional £100,000 of aid, which is very important. In his long reply the Minister made the point that our Ambassador in Moscow has protested as part of a European Union delegation, to the Russian Foreign Minister and that the Minister of State, Deputies Gay Mitchell and Joan Burton, have made similar protests. I did not hear the Minister refer to his own role. My question was addressed specifically to the Minister and concerned his role in communicating the revulsion felt by the Irish people at these actions. Those actions necessitated calling in the Russian Ambassador and expressing our strong, humanitarian view and our abhorrence of the abuse of civil and human rights that has been taking place there. Bearing in mind our business with Aeroflot, through Aer Rianta, we are in a strong position to speak to our Russian colleagues who could be seen as citizens of a friendly nation. Would the Minister agree that we should be using our influence, as we do not have any baggage in the colonial sense, to speak to the Russians? I recommend that the Minister invite the Russian Ambassador, not in any aggressive manner, to make known to the Russians the strongly held views of the Irish people, their sense of revulsion at what they are watching on television screens, that is children and elderly women being murdered.
The Deputy is certainly correct when he says there is a sense of revulsion felt here at what is taking place in Chechnya. I am aware of that feeling. The Minister of State summoned the Russian Ambassador when I was on vacation. When I returned the first thing I did was have a discussion with the Irish Ambassador in Moscow with a view to his going to the authorities in Moscow and that was done. Yesterday the European General Affairs Council had an opportunity to discuss the position. Obviously far more impact can be brought to bear on the Russian Administration by the European Union through the European Presidency. We had an opportunity yesterday too, of hearing firsthand reports from Ministers who met various personnel in the Russian Administration. It is important that we maintain pressure and reiterate to the Russians that what happened in Chechnya is unacceptable and they will have to try to work out a negotiated settlement. In early February the General Affairs Council will again discuss the crisis in Chechnya. We will have an opportunity to see what happened in the meantime and I will certainly consider having discussions with the Russian Ambassador prior to that meeting.
The time for priority questions is exhausted.
