Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not intended that we have a meeting later this week so, prior to this meeting, the clerk circulated the wording of a motion and some briefing received from the Department of Foreign Affairs on the situation in Belarus.

I move that the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence:

— condemns unequivocally the unlawful act by the Belarusian authorities of the interception of a Ryanair flight between Greece and Lithuania on Sunday 23rd

May, 2021;

— acknowledges the set of sanctions proposed by the Council of the European Union (EU) in response to this unlawful act;

— urges the European Council and European Commission to continue to monitor the situation in Belarus;

— calls for the unconditional release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega and for guarantees for their freedom of movement to be provided; and

— calls on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ensure that the matter is raised at the earliest opportunity at the United Nations Security Council and at the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

I ask for agreement on the motion. I regret we did not have more time but I see an element of urgency here. I would like the motion to go from here to the Dáil Order Paper and for the committee to make this statement.

Are there any comments on the motion? I do not see anybody offering. I take it that has received the approval of the committee. I thank members for accepting the text, as drafted, because of the urgency.