Mary Harney
Ceist:1 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the Cairo Peace Conference. [6257/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Middle East Peace Conference.
Bertie Ahern
Ceist:2 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the results of the Middle East Conference on anti-terrorism and the bilateral meetings he attended. [6343/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
I took part in the Middle East "Summit of the Peacemakers" at Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt on Wednesday, 13 March. The Summit was convened by Presidents Clinton and Mubarak and I was invited on the basis of Ireland's membership of the EU Troika.
The purpose of the Summit was to demonstrate support for the Middle East peace process; to confront those seeking to undermine it by violence, and to show solidarity with Israel and with the Palestinian Authority. The attendance of so many leaders from the Middle East showed very clearly the tremendous will for peace and peaceful co-existence in the region. The international community's continuing support for the peace process was no less clear, as evidenced by the attendance of all of the G-7 group of nations, as well as representatives of the EU.
Following the Summit, the co-chairmen issued a statement recording participants' political and economic support for the Middle East peace process, together with their agreement to increase co-operation in the prevention of terrorism.
As well as contributing to the Summit, I had bilateral meetings with King Hussein of Jordan, President Clinton and Prime Minister Major. I also had informal discussions with President Yeltsin of the Russian Federation; the UN Secretary General. Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali; Prime Minister Peres of Israel, and President Arafat of the Palestinian Authority, as well as the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen and Commissioner Marin of the EU.
What practical measures did the Summit agree to take to advance the peace process in the Middle East?
The Summit had both a practical and symbolic significance. Symbolically, it was very important that leaders from all over the world were willing to go to the Middle East to demonstrate in person their support for Prime Minister Peres and President Arafat. While it would be wrong to under-estimate the symbolic importance of that gesture, with all the leaders converging in the Middle East at very short notice to demonstrate their commitment, in terms of practical follow-up, as the Deputy will see from the chairman's statement, there was agreement of continued support, economically and politically, for the peace process and for the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, which are ongoing. There will be co-ordinated efforts to deal with terror and the source of funds and arms for those using terror in the Middle East.
Did the Taoiseach have an opportunity to talk to President Mubarak at the conference? Has he had an opportunity to speak to him since the Order of Business this morning about the matters I raised then?
Obviously, the matters about which the Deputy is concerned were not matters of public concern at the time of the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh. I had a brief conversation with President Mubarak and since he was co-chairman and joint host the opportunity for a lengthy bilateral discussion with him on Irish-Egyptian relations was not open at that juncture. I hope, however, to have a conversation with him later today.
In his discussions with the Israeli leaders and others did the Taoiseach have the opportunity to raise the issue of the so-called South Lebanese Army, the Israeli-sponsored organisation operating in the area where Irish troops are stationed as part of the United Nations force, or the possibility of bringing about peace in the south Lebanon area and the role of the Syrians in that area?
In my formal contribution to the Summit I drew attention to the importance of the role played by Irish troops in south Lebanon. I particularly adverted to that as a practical and immediate contribution by Ireland in the matter, and I did not confine myself to drawing it to the attention of Prime Minister Peres but to the assembled gathering. The position of the Irish Government in this matter is well known. The fact that the Government is opening a resident embassy in Tel Aviv will enable us to present more directly to the Israeli authorities than was posssible by external representation Ireland's concern about the safety of our troops and about proper regulation of the position in south Lebanon.
I appreciate that the Taoiseach has made representations. Will he agree that rather than have a long-term presence of our forces in the south Lebanon area under the UN flag, the preferred solution would be to have peace in south Lebanon? The role of the Syrians, and the need for peace between Israel and Syria, is of primary importance in that region. Since that would have been a matter for discussion at the Summit, has the Taoiseach any comment to make on it?
I agree that the Syrian track of the peace process is particularly important from the point of view of the position in south Lebanon and also the position around Quneitra in the Golan. Obviously that is a particularly difficult part of the peace process, involving a range of issues relating to military dispositions, settlements, access to water and other matters. Unfortunately President El Assad was not represented at the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh, but notwithstanding his absence Syria remains committed to the peace process. Bilateral meetings, of which I was informed during the Summit, which others have had with President El Assad suggest that he continues to have a strong commitment to the peace process in regard to the matters in dispute between Syria and Israel and also in regard to south Lebanon.