Written Answers. - Official Engagements.
Eamon Ryan
Ceist:
69
Mr. Eamon Ryan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will report on the meeting last week between the United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the European Union; if he will further report on contacts or inputs he or his officials had with any meeting between the US Secretary of State and the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10114/03]
Jack Wall
Ceist:
88
Mr. Wall
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting between EU Foreign Ministers and the US Secretary of State on 3 April 2003.
[9874/03]
I propose to take answer Questions Nos. 69 and 88 together.
On 3 April, I attended a lunch meeting of EU and NATO Foreign Ministers with United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell. It was an informal meeting and there were no agreed conclusions. The meeting, which was convened at short notice took place at the request of the Secretary of State. Both during the meeting and in his subsequent press conference, the Secretary of State made clear that he had come to Brussels to talk with, and to listen to the views of European Foreign Ministers on the transatlantic relationship and on the post-war situation in Iraq. For his part, the Secretary of State made clear that the US wanted to move past the disagreements over Iraq and renew transatlantic co-operation across the broad range of challenges and threats that face the international community. There was broad agreement on this goal.
I can report that there was a good and productive atmosphere at the meeting, with all the participants agreed on the importance of sustained and sincere transatlantic co-operation. The large number of issues where transatlantic co-operation was achieving good results – the western Balkans, Afghanistan, terrorism – were noted. I, and a number of other Ministers, underlined the importance of multilateralism in providing the widest degree of international solidarity to meet the challenges and threats that face us all. I also raised, as did many of my European Union colleagues, the imperative of forward progress in the Middle East peace process based not only on the early publication of the Quartet road map, but also pressure for its early implementation.
On the post-conflict situation in Iraq, Greek Foreign Minister George Papendreou, acting as EU Presidency, explained that there was unanimity in the EU on the importance of a central role for the United Nations. EU Ministers noted the UN's experience in managing the post-conflict situations in places like East Timor, Afghanistan, Namibia and Cambodia and that this expertise should be drawn on in Iraq. We also noted the willingness of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to devote the resources of the organisation to addressing the needs of the Iraqi people once the UN Security Council makes a request. The Greek Presidency, on behalf of the EU, underlined the importance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq; the importance of the United Nations providing legitimacy and a basis for a wider international consensus in the post conflict phase; and the commitment of the EU to do what it can to address the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people. As I have indicated, there were no agreed conclusions from the meeting, but it was certainly a useful opportunity for me and other EU Ministers to discuss and make known our views on these important issues.
