Vol. 477 No. 2
50 Mr. T. Kitt asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason Ireland is the only country in the EU which does not have diplomatic relations with Cuba; the plans, if any, there are to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba; the current state of relations between Ireland and Cuba; if the Cuban Government has requested the establishment of diplomatic relations; and, if so, when or the frequency with which this request has been made. [8886/97]
The Cuban authorities have indicated on a number of occasions, most recently in the course of a bilateral meeting at official level last September, that they would welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations with Ireland. Our response has been that, because of the small size of our foreign service and the limited resources available for its expansion, we are not in a position to respond positively. However, the establishment of diplomatic relations will be kept under review.
The absence of diplomatic relations does not prevent the development of friendly and co-operative links between our two countries through other channels.
