Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:36 Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions he has had in recent times with the Venezuelan ambassador to Britain and Ireland. [20950/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 20 May 2010
Ceisteanna (46)
Freagraí scríofa
Ireland established diplomatic relations with Venezuela on 29 November 1980 and is accredited on a non-residential basis through our Ambassador to Mexico. Ambassador Eamon Hickey is awaiting the offer of a date from the Venezuelan side to present his credentials in Caracas. On 13 January 2009, Dr. Samuel Moncada, Ambassador of Venezuela in London, who is also accredited to Ireland, presented his credentials to President McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin. Ambassador Moncada is in regular contact with officials of my Department on a range of bilateral issues.
Ireland's relations with Venezuela are also conducted in the multilateral context, in particular through the framework of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations (EU-LAC), as well as the EU-Rio Group Strategic Dialogues.
The most recent Government level contact in the multilateral context took place at the Sixth EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit in Madrid earlier this week, which the Taoiseach attended.