Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the House to discuss Ireland's position on Kosovo's declaration of independence, because this issue is causing much tension within the EU. The Irish Government has expressed its support for Kosovo's independence. However, it is a complex issue because other newly formed states will also wish to declare independence in the future and there is a question of whether the EU will recognise these. For this reason, I ask the Minister to come to the House to explain the reasoning behind the Irish Government's support for Kosovo's independence. I also ask that the Irish Government contribute to the debate within the EU by proposing something like the Copenhagen criteria. These criteria, which apply to any aspiring member of the EU, are clear conditions that countries must meet before being allowed to join the EU. Similarly, the EU could draw up a set of criteria for recognition of the independence and sovereignty of newly formed states. This will allow us to move away from what appears to be an arbitrary situation in which the EU may recognise the independence of certain newly formed states but not of others. I ask that the Minister come before the House to discuss this issue.