Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have raised this issue, along with the people to whom I made a specific reference earlier, with the incoming secretary general of the Arab League. I also raised the issue directly in the context of my conversations with Foreign Minister Shoukry of Egypt, an influential interlocutor in the region.

Ireland, together with our European partners, made it clear in a statement on 4 June 2014 that we do not accept the legitimacy of the presidential election in Syria. It was held under a flawed electoral law which imposed identification requirements, which deprived most Syrians living in areas under opposition control of their ability to cast votes. The facts call into to question the legitimacy of the Assad regime and its authority to invite military support from other states. I made that position clear in a recent meeting I held with the representative of Russia in Ireland, the Russian ambassador. I will continue to amplify the points that have been raised in the House on numerous occasions.

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