Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence
Russia's Foreign Policy and Security in Europe: Engagement with Ambassador of Russia
Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Chair for allowing me a brief opportunity. In deference to him, my colleagues and the ambassador, I will keep my contribution brief.
I thank the ambassador for his engagement and his contributions at the committee. Colleagues have outlined the importance that we place on Ireland's neutrality on the international stage. We also place a great deal of importance and pride on our own process of conflict resolution, moving beyond conflict, and the peace process here in Ireland that we have benefited from. In the context of all that has been said so far, does the ambassador believe that there is a position for Ireland, not least through our place on the UN Security Council, to play a proactive role in seeking to practically assist that process of de-escalation? I welcome the opportunity to engage with the ambassador this evening. I know that colleagues have put a whole range of questions to him, so I do not need to rehearse those. Does the ambassador think that Ireland can do something through the UN Security Council to utilise our soft diplomatic power internationally, as well as our experience with peace-building and conflict resolution to practically assist the process of de-escalation? I thank the Chair for allowing me in at the very end.