Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

25 June 2014

Foreign Affairs Council

Q 2 2014

Tánaiste’s Statement

Chairman, Members of the Committee,

I welcome the opportunity to brief you here today on discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council second quarter of 2014.

It has been a busy period since I last met with the Committee at the beginning of March, not least in light of ongoing developments in Ukraine and recent developments in Iraq.

I propose to address the key issues by geographic region as follows:

  • Eastern Neighbourhood
  • Southern Neighbourhood
  • Africa
  • Asia

Before briefly touching on one thematic issue – human rights.

I look forward to discussing the details with the Committee in due course.

Eastern Neighbourhood

Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine has been the subject of detailed discussion in the Foreign Affairs Council in the period under review;the crisis was discussed at every Council over the last four months.

The EU is resolved to do all it can to help facilitate an inclusive and negotiated settlement and has been actively engaged in efforts to promote dialogue and peace in Ukraine since the outset of the crisis.

The framework of the EU’s response to the crisis was decided at the informal meeting of EU Heads of State and Government on 6 March, where a calibrated three-stage roadmap was adopted in relation to targeted measures against the Russian Federation in the absence of a de-escalation of the situation.

The Heads of State and Government endorsed, as a first phase, the suspension of talks on visa matters and on a New Agreement on trade, as had been agreed at the extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council on 3 March. The Council on 17 March implemented the second phase of measures envisaged by the roadmap, namely travel restrictions and an asset freeze against 21 Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The March Foreign Affairs Council also discussed the so-called referendum which was held in Crimea the previous day, and which resulted in the territory’s formal annexation by the Russian Federation on 18 March. In our Conclusions, EU Foreign Ministers rejected the poll as illegal and a clear violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the May Council, in light of the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea, Foreign Ministers agreed to the imposition of sanctions against a further 13 named individuals, bringing to 61 the total number of listed individuals subject to assets freezes and visa bans. Moreover, in a broadening of the EU’s criteria, we imposed sanctions on two ‘entities’ (i.e. companies) based in Crimea which are deemed to have benefited from the illegal annexation. Following on from our discussion on Monday, the Council decided to prohibit the import into the European Union of goods originating from Crimea or Sevastopol with the exception of those having been granted a certificate of origin by the Government of Ukraine.

The Council has agreed to a number of concrete measures to build confidence in Ukraine and recognise its European choice as endorsed by the Ukrainian people in the Presidential elections last month. In March, the Council supported the signing of the political chapters of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which were subsequently signed at the European Council later that week. At the Council on Monday, my EU colleagues and I welcomed the forthcoming signature of the remaining provisions of the Association Agreement, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, at the European Council later this week. On Monday, we also agreed to establish a CSDP Mission to Ukraine to lend assistance to the Government in the field of civilian security sector reform. In addition, we have consistently confirmed our support for the important work of the OSCE in Ukraine. Ireland has played its full part in the OSCE’s activities in Ukraine and I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the 16 Irish members of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission that oversaw last month’s Presidential elections. There are currently five Irish members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which is engaged in a close assessment of the security situation on the ground.

The EU has also contributed financial support to Ukraine in order to assist in efforts to stabilise the macro-economic situation and encourage the implementation of structural economic reforms. The March FAC approved the European Commission’s proposal to offer €1.6 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine as well as temporary tariff cuts for Ukrainian goods. I am encouraged that the Commission disbursed the first tranche of these vital funds to Ukraine last month.

At Monday’s, meeting my EU colleagues and I reflected on the positive outcome of last month’s Presidential elections which, despite the difficult security situation, were characterised by a high turnout and were largely in line with international commitments. In our Conclusions, we welcomed President Poroshenko’s 15-point peace plan which was announced last Friday. Despite the significant challenges that face him and his Government, we remain hopeful that President Poroshenko’s strong mandate will help advance Ukraine on the path of reform and turn it into the modern and democratic country its citizens call for. The EU will continue to be actively engaged in facilitating a resolution to the crisis and supporting Ukraine’s progress towards peace and stability.

For my own part, I can confirm that Ireland fully supports the peace plan proposed by President Poroshenko which we hope will lead to the negotiated peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine that we all wish to see.

European Neighbourhood Policy/ Eastern Partnership

At the May FAC, Ministers held a comprehensive discussion on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). More than a decade since its inception, the ENP continues to play a vital role in helping to build an area of stability and shared prosperity in the EU’s wider neighbourhood. The policy was revised in 2011 to take account of the dramatic developments in the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean. Key changes included strengthening links with civil society and a commitment by the EU to offer increased aid to partner countries prepared to embrace deeper democratic reforms.

While these elements will continue to remain central features of the ENP, it is clear that a further review of the current policy is required in light of the crisis in the Ukraine and the impact it has had on the wider region, coupled with increased instability in the southern neighbourhood. Key issues highlighted by Ministers during the FAC discussion included the need for greater flexibility in how the EU deals with individual countries under the ENP and the requirement to better tailor our approach to the differing political and economic realities faced by each of our partners. Ministers also agreed that supporting economic development and helping to address the challenges of high youth unemployment in partner countries will be crucial in building support for the ENP in the EU’s neighbourhood.

One of the key initiatives within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy has been the Eastern Partnership (EaP) - a major priority for the EU since its launch in 2009. The purpose of the EaP is to create a zone of prosperity and stability to the East of the EU committed to the democratic values of human rights and rule of law. It is fundamentally in the EU’s security interests that the EaP succeeds in these objectives.

As I have said, the crisis in Ukraine has underlined the need for a more effective ENP and EaP. Even against the background of this crisis however, we can point to tangible progress in developing our Eastern Partnership. The signing of the Association Agreements between the EU and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, expected to take place en marge of the European Council on 27 June, will mark an important symbolic moment for the EU’s relations with our eastern neighbours. It should also be noted that all six EaP countries, even those like Belarus and Armenia which do not intend to conclude Association Agreements with the EU, are committed to the EaP and to closer cooperation with the EU.

While the focus in the EaP will necessarily be on the implementation of the AA, the EU will also be considering how best to further develop its relations with all of the partner countries ahead of the next EaP Summit in Riga in May 2015. This will be vital to the strengthening of our European Neighbourhood Policy, which in turn will be a priority task for the new Commission and High Representative when they take up office.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

At the 14th of April Council, I participated in a strategic discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina where we agreed to broaden the EU agenda and engagement with the country. Member States urged Bosnia’s leaders to focus on addressing the socio-economic issues highlighted by their citizens during the wave of public protests earlier this Spring.We supported the development of a “Compact for Growth and Jobs” that would engage local stakeholders in indentifying concrete structural reforms to reinvigorate the economy. Ahead of the general elections due to take place in October 2014, we urged Bosnia’s leaders to reach out actively to civil societyand to tackle issues such as the very high levels of unemployment in the country.

Ireland remains a strong supporter of Bosnia’s EU perspective and I very much supported the EU taking this broader and more active role.

The Balkan region, including Bosnia, was recently affected by some ofthe worstflooding since records began. Ireland responded by providing €50,000 to the NGO World Vision, as well as relief supplies, such as tents and blankets, worth €220,000 to help victims of the flooding.

Albania

While not strictly an item for the Foreign Affairs Council I would like nonetheless to say a few words about Albania in the context of the wider Eastern Neighbourhood.

I welcome the agreement of the General Affairs Council yesterday to grant candidate status to Albania, subject to the endorsement of the European Council later this week. This is a positive decision that Ireland very much supported.

Of course, candidate status is just the beginning of the process and much work remains for Albania before accession negotiations can begin. It is clear, for example, that there will have to be further progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and in judicial reform.

Southern Neighbourhood

Iraq

Turning to the Middle East, attention is very much focussed at present on the grave situation in Iraq arising from the offensive launched earlier this month by ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/al-Sham) which has resulted in the capture of Mosul and several other major cities in northern Iraq.

There can be no doubt about the seriousness of the threat posed by ISIS and its affiliated militias not just to Iraq and its people but indeed the wider region. I have resolutely condemned the violence and terror which ISIS has inflicted on ordinary Iraqis in pursuing their offensive. Unfortunately, we already know well from Syria the depths to which ISIS can plunge in seeking to impose its extremist views on others including, for example, threats to execute Christians unwilling to convert in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

The international community therefore needs to support the Iraqi authorities in confronting this serious challenge to the security and territorial integrity of Iraq. However as I and many others, including EU and Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting in Athens on 11 June have made clear, any security response also needs to be combined with strong political efforts on the part of the Iraqi government and all its political leaders to promote national unity and reconciliation and involve all sectors of Iraq’s divided society in governing the country.

While the linkages with the crisis in Syria, where ISIS also poses a grave threat, are evident, the fact is that Iraq has just successfully conducted national elections at the end of April which have demonstrated the strong commitment of the Iraqi people to their democratic constitution. It is telling of the partisan manner in which the Maliki government has regrettably governed in recent years that a request by Prime Minister Maliki for the new parliament to convene in order to confer emergency powers to confront the current situation has been blithely ignored by non-government political representatives. I welcome the more recent signs of accommodation among Iraq’s political leaders which we have seen subsequently in recent days.

The EU and the UN remain fully committed to jointly assisting Iraq and its leaders to confront the serious challenges the country faces and to promote greater inclusivity and power-sharing among Iraq’s different communities. The Council this week had a useful meeting with the UN Special Representative in Iraq, former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov, to discuss the crisis, including stepped up international efforts to confront the serious humanitarian situation. Committee Members will be aware that I was pleased to announce an initial contribution of €200,000 from the Irish Aid budget last week to GOAL to assist the vital humanitarian operations they are undertaking in northern Iraq.

Syria

The Council on Monday also addressed the continuing crisis in Syria where regrettably there has been very little progress of any sort to report over the past three months. Earlier this month, we observed the spectacle of Bashar al-Assad being re-elected President for a further seven-year term in an election whose legitimacy could only be questioned by any impartial observer, given the many millions of Syrians in opposition-held areas who were unable to vote. As the Council noted in the Conclusions which it adopted in April, any election organised outside the framework of the Geneva communiqué and principles could have no credibility whatsoever and only undermine efforts to reach a political solution.

Efforts to promote a political settlement are currently at a standstill, following Joint Special Representative Brahimi’s decision to stand down last month. UN Secretary General Ban is currently reflecting on how best to promote a political process and will appoint a successor to Mr. Brahimi once this process of reflection is complete. Clearly, all relevant regional stake-holders need to be engaged in the search for a political solution as ISIS’s advance or, more accurately, return to Iraq has graphically underlined the broader threats which the wider region now faces. While the Geneva talks process may be suspended, the principles underlying the original Geneva communiqué providing for some form of political transition are still likely to prove relevant in the continuing search for peace in Syria.

In the meantime, the humanitarian situation arising from the crisis continues to worsen, with little progress in improving vital humanitarian access evident since the Security Council adoption of Resolution 2139 last February. Work is continuing within the Council on a possible follow-up Resolution which will aim at compelling greater compliance on the part of all sides in Syria, but particularly the regime, in facilitating humanitarian actors and access. Such a Resolution is clearly necessary, given the very limited compliance with Resolution 2139 to date.

Syria’s neighbours, and particularly Lebanon and Jordan, continue to face a huge burden in coping with the influx of Syrian refugees. The Committee will be aware that the Taoiseach visited Lebanon on 16 June where, prior to visiting our UNIFIL contingent, he met with Prime Minister Salam and was able to announce a further substantial contribution of €2 million from the Irish Aid Budget to assist both Syrian refugees and the host communities accommodating them in Lebanon. This latest contribution brings Ireland’s total humanitarian assistance to date since the inception of the Syria crisis to over €28 million, firmly putting Ireland among the front rank of contributors on a per capita basis.

Middle East Peace Process

T he Middle East Peace Process is due to figure on the agenda for the July Council. Ireland has been one of a number of countries calling for an early substantive discussion by the Council of the MEPP and the EU’s role, following the suspension of the US-led peace talks at the end of April and the announcement of the formation of a Palestinian unity government earlier this month.

Clearly, the priority must continue to be to work for the earliest possible resumption of substantive negotiations which address all the core issues. Ireland and the EU as a whole have been fully supportive and appreciative of the immense efforts which Secretary of State Kerry and the US Administration has expended in recent months in trying to create a framework for substantive peace talks. As the Conclusions adopted by the Council in May made clear, these extensive efforts must be built upon and not allowed go to waste.

However, the reality at the moment is that the situation on the ground is rapidly deteriorating and there seems little likelihood of direct talks resuming in the near future. The Government has already set out, during a Topical Issues debate last week, its position on the current Palestinian hunger strikes and the practice of administration detention which has given rise to this protest. I also want to take the opportunity here to condemn the recent abduction of three young Israelis in the Occupied Territories and add my voice to those calling for their urgent release and return to their families. No possible good can be served by such a reprehensible act.