John Bruton
Ceist:31 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Russia. [17436/99]
Written Answers. - Official Engagements.
John Bruton
Ceist:32 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach his planned official visits abroad between 29 September 1999 and the end of 1999. [17449/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:33 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the written communications, if any, he has had in the past three months with the President of the European Commission. [17450/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:34 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the invitations he has extended to Heads of Government or of State to visit him in Ireland between 29 September 1999 and the end of 1999. [17451/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:35 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 1 of 17 December 1997, he will make a statement on the activities of his Department in recent months to make an effective Irish input to the work of the European Council on major issues on the EU agenda. [17455/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:36 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if an agenda has been agreed for the special meeting in Finland next month of EU Heads of Government to discuss internal security issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17456/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:37 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the issues other than those relating to Northern Ireland which he has raised in his recent meetings and telephone discussions with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17409/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:38 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach when he next plans to meet the President of the EU Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17741/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:39 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the outcome of his recent official visit to Russia; the results of his meetings with political and business leaders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17748/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:40 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will list the official engagements he undertook on his recent visit to Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17757/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:41 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if, during his recent visit to Russia, he sought the support of the Russian Government for Ireland's campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council; if so, the response, if any, he received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17760/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:42 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the main provisions of the bilateral agreement to fight crime and drugs trafficking which he signed with the Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Putin, during his recent official visit to Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17761/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:43 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat; the matters discussed; and the conclusions reached. [17914/99]
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:44 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach his priorities for the meeting of the European Council on 15 and 16 October 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17915/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:45 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting in Shannon with the Leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Yasser Arafat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18137/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 to 45, inclusive, together.
I visited Russia from 14 to 16 September on the first official bilateral visit by a Taoiseach. My visit had two main objectives: to strengthen bilateral political relations between our two countries and to promote Irish exports and business contacts in Russia. I believe that the visit was highly successful in both respects.
Unfortunately, my visit to Russia coincided with the terrorist atrocities which resulted in such a large loss of life in the Moscow area and elsewhere in Russia. I took the opportunity of my visit to convey the condolences of the Irish Government and people on these attacks.
As regards the political element of my visit to Russia, I met with Prime Minister Putin on Wednesday, 15 September. I also met Governor Mukha of Novosibirsk. On Thursday, 16 September I met Mr. Gennady Seleznyov, Speaker of the Duma; Mayor Yuri Luzhkov of Moscow; Mr. Yegor Stroyev, Chairman of the Federation Council; Governor Vladimir Yakovlev of St. Petersburg; and Former Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov.
In addition to these meetings, I had a series of trade related meetings with the accompanying business delegation and their Russian business contacts. I was accompanied during my visit to Russia by a large delegation representing 28 Irish companies, drawn from the software, telecommunications, educational services and agri-food sectors. I also met with members of the Irish business and expatriate community in Russia.
I discussed a wide range of issues during my meeting with Prime Minister Putin on 15 September, including the economic progress Russia has been making; the growing political and economic relations between our two countries; EU-Russia relations; Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the Council of Europe; and the Northern Ireland Peace Process. I also raised the continued purchase of Irish beef by Russia. The Prime Minister assured me that the Russian veterinary authorities will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.
We discussed East Timor and the question of an urgent and appropriate response from the international community. Prime Minister Putin also highlighted the potential difficulties ahead for the 150,000 refugees from Kosovo and Eastern Slavonia currently in Serbia as winter approaches.
Following our meeting, Prime Minister Putin and I signed Agreements on Co-operation in Combating Illegal Drug Trafficking and Fighting Crime. The agreements essentially provide for co-operation, information exchange and expertise sharing. I understand they will be laid before the House shortly by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Prime Minister and I also issued a joint statement on bilateral co-operation in the field of management training for Russians.
As Deputies are aware, Ireland is seeking election to non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council next year for the term 2001-2002. I am heartened by the broad support which our candidacy has been attracting among many UN member states. Russia as a permanent member of the Security Council does not declare its position until the vote takes place, however, I was encouraged by the approach of Prime Minister Putin to this matter who noted the close coincidence in approach between our two countries towards many international issues.
I met with President Arafat at Shannon on 21 September. He arrived in Shannon from Cairo and he briefed me on his meeting there with President Mubarak. We discussed the outlook for the Final Status Negotiations, which were launched on 14 September. He also briefed me on the recently concluded Sharm-El-Sheikh Memorandum which restarted the implementation of the Wye Agreement and assured me that Palestinian commitments would be complied with in full. The President expressed his thanks for the support of the EU in relation to Sharm-El-Sheikh and for the Middle East Peace Process in general. We had a discussion about settlements and he briefed me on progress on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks of the Middle East Peace Process. I was pleased to learn from him that there has been some progress towards the construction of a port in Gaza. We also discussed bilateral relations between Ireland and the Palestinian Authority, including the opening of our Representative Office in Ramallah, which we intend will take place before the end of the year.
I will attend the Special European Council on Justice and Home Affairs in Tampere, Finland on 15 and 16 October. I will meet President Prodi who will also be attending the summit. Prime Minister Lipponen of Finland wrote to me on 27 September setting out the draft agenda for the meeting. It is structured around three main themes: immigration and asylum policy; a European judicial area, including improving citizens access to justice; and the fight against organised crime. I will be meeting with Prime Minister Lipponen this evening as part of his tour of capitals in advance of the special European Council and we will discuss the draft agenda and Ireland's priorities in the justice and home affairs area.
My Department is in constant contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and our embassies abroad in relation to developments on the EU agenda. As I outlined to the House previously, I have established a Cabinet committee to co-ordinate EU business. Its core members are the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In addition, the Attorney General and other Ministers will attend, as appropriate, on particular issues. This forum allows for the required focus to be given to the important issues which are arising on the EU agenda. The committee's next meeting will take place immediately in advance of the Tampere European Council.
In addition to informal telephone contacts, it is increasingly the case that on the eve of each European Council, I meet with Prime Minister Blair to discuss both developments in Northern Ireland and the issues on the agenda of the relevant council. Most recently, I met him in advance of the Cologne European Council and would expect to meet him again in the context of the Tampere European Council.
In relation to my future travel programme, I hope to visit Hungary, Slovenia and our Defence force personnel serving with KFOR in Kosovo from 2 to 4 November. I will also be attending an OSCE Summit of Heads of State and Government in Istanbul on 18-19 November and the European Council in Helsinki on 10-11 December. During my bilateral visits, I have extended invitations to all my counterparts to pay reciprocal visits to Ireland. Other than the visit this evening by Prime Minister Lipponen and the visit next week by Xanana Gusmao, no other inward visits are planned at this time.
While I have not written to President Prodi in the last three months, he has written to me on the occasion of the investiture of the new Commission.