Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2004
52 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the next ASEM meeting will take place; the agenda for this meeting; the views that the Asia member states of ASEM have communicated to EU member states of ASEM regarding the political situation in Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10047/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs EU Presidency, Ireland will host the sixth meeting of ASEM Foreign Ministers on 17 and 18 April 2004. ASEM, the Asia-Europe Meeting, is an informal multilateral process of dialogue and co-operation, bringing together the 15 EU member states and the European Commission, with ten Asian countries — Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The ASEM process was established in 1996 as a forum for informal dialogue between European and Asian partners to facilitate an open exchange of views and discussion of political, economic and cultural issues of concern to the two regions. It was formed with the objective of strengthening the relationship between Europe and Asia, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. ASEM has now grown into a process of ongoing and useful dialogue, which includes summit-level meetings every second year, annual meetings of Foreign and Finance Ministers, and a range of meetings and activities at official level across the three ASEM pillars.
At our April meeting, discussions will range across the three pillars on which the ASEM process is based — political, economic and cultural. This will provide a very useful opportunity for open exchanges across the wide range of issues of concern to Asian and European partners. Along with current regional and international issues, the working methods and the future membership of the ASEM process will be the principal items for discussion by Ministers. ASEM provides a unique and very useful forum for open dialogue with our Asian partners, particularly on issues such as Burma-Myanmar which continue to be of serious concern to the international community.
Our Asian partners continue to emphasise their preference for engagement with the Burmese regime, rather than its international isolation, and for this reason continue to press strongly for Burma to be accepted as a member of ASEM as soon as possible, along with the ten EU accession states, Laos and Cambodia. While they stress that the situation in Burma is an internal matter, and as such should not be subject to undue outside interference, our contacts with Asian partners on this question have illustrated that we share common goals — the return of democracy to Burma, an end to human rights violations, and the realisation of peace and prosperity for the long suffering people of Burma. The visit to Burma from 3-5 March 2004 of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Razali, was a step in the right direction, and it is important that his access to Burma and to Aung San Suu Kyi continues. It is encouraging that our Asian partners are making active efforts to bring Burma towards democracy and reconciliation. I refer in particular to the Bangkok process, the first meeting of which was held on 15 December 2003, and I look forward to further progress in this regard.
56 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will be represented at the Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue Meeting in Tunisia in April 2004; and if so, the form and composition of the representation. [9897/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has not received an invitation to participate in this meeting. I understand, however, that the Oireachtas had been invited to participate and that a decision had been taken by the relevant Committees of the Oireachtas to do so. However, the latest information is that this meeting has now been postponed from its planned date of 27-28 April and that a new date has not yet been arranged. The Government of course welcomes any meeting which enhances dialogue between Europe and the Arab world, and hopes that the meeting will go ahead as soon as possible.
