Bertie Ahern
Ceist:1 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his meeting with King Hussein of Jordan. [5109/97]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with King Hussein.
I met King Hussein of Jordan in Government Buildings on Wednesday, 19 February and I was accompanied by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
I assured King Hussein of the full support of Ireland and of the European Union for the Middle East peace process. I sought the king's assessment of the current position and congratulated him on the positive role he has played in working for lasting reconciliation and peace in the Middle East, particularly leading up to the recent agreement on Hebron.
King Hussein expressed optimism that the work for peace would continue to make progress and spoke of his continuing commitment to it. He also conveyed his appreciation of the important contribution made under the Irish Presidency of the European Union and stressed the value of the supporting role the European Union continues to play.
We also discussed the issue of the export of Irish beef and dairy products to Jordan. I assured the Jordanians that Irish food was produced to the highest quality and subject to stringent controls. The Jordanians undertook to give positive reconsideration to their ban on the importation of Irish beef and dairy products and King Hussein suggested the establishment of a specialised group to examine the problems in this area. We will be pursuing this proposal with the relevant authorities in Jordan.
We also had some brief discussion on the general situation in the Middle East and on the Euro-med Partnership Agreement.
How extensive were the Taoiseach's discussions with King Hussein on the position in the Middle East? Will he state the Government's view on the decision of the Israeli Prime Minister to give the green light to the extension of the settlements, particularly in East Jerusalem, in the face of the objections of the Palestinian people and the United Nations? Does the Taoiseach agree that these decisions may have related more to the domestic position of the Israeli Prime Minister than the continuing peace process in the Middle East?
I told the King of Jordan the Irish Government deeply regrets the extension of construction on the part of the Israeli authorities in the Har Homa area of East Jerusalem. I indicated to him that the European Union had stated, at the highest level at the Dublin Summit, that settlements in the occupied territories by the Israeli authorities contravene international law and are an obstacle to peace.
Will the Taoiseach elaborate on his discussions with King Hussein on agricultural matters? Did the Taoiseach say the king expressed satisfaction with our agricultural industry? Did he discuss the possibility of our expanding our export market to the Middle East? From their talks on agriculture did the Taoiseach ascertain whether, as in the case of other countries, Jordan is prepared to import Irish beef?
The Jordanian market for Irish beef is comparatively small, approximately 1,000 tonnes annually, but I did raise the matter with His Majesty. As a result he suggested that a specialised group be established to examine the issue of Irish dairy and beef exports to Jordan. I have written to the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdel Karim Kabariti, on foot of my discussions with the king last week suggesting a timetable for the establishment of this group.
In his discussions with King Hussein did the Taoiseach raise the issue of the Israeli Government being less prepared than its predecessor to negotiate in the Middle East peace process? Did the king express any opinion or indicate what he is doing to encourage greater levels of negotiation?
I did not raise the matter in those terms. In fact I think King Hussein's success in reaching an agreement on the very difficult issue of Hebron is testament to the fact that the Israeli Government is capable of reaching agreements, including one with the Palestinian authorities, something the Likud Government had never done previously. Therefore, I did not raise it in the terms expressed by Deputy Sargent. However, I did express the concern of Ireland and the European Union that there should be continued willingness to reach a compromise on difficult issues standing in the way of progress.
Will the Taoiseach say whether his Government will publicly join United States criticism of the extension of the occupied territories, a number of countries having added their voices to such international criticism over the past 24 hours?
I have expressed my criticism in the House. I do not join anybody else in expressing the criticism of the Irish Government.