Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador for joining us today. Irish neutrality is important to us. We wear it as a source of pride. The ambassador will have heard many members around the committee room already referencing it. Does the Russian Federation believe that the State is militarily neutral in world affairs?

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergei Lavrov, wrote to the Government today asking if we have changed our position on post-Cold War European security arrangements. What specific action as a neutral actor has the State taken to warrant that question in that letter today? Specifically, what has Ireland done to warrant that letter today? In that letter, the Russian Federation's Foreign Minister asked that we would respond individually and not as part of a European collective. As the ambassador answers my question, I would like him to state what we have done individually to warrant the letter in the first place.

The ambassador mentioned the famous undersea cables. One of the issues that might give suspicion to that is, for example, that in August 2021, a 300 ft Russian vessel, the Yantar, was reported to be in our economic exclusion zone. For what purpose would a 300 ft vessel be in Irish economic exclusive zones? Gabhaim buíochas leis an ambasadóir. I thank the ambassador.