Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his proposals to open new embassies abroad in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1067/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has decided to complete our network of resident missions in all of the EU member states and also to establish missions in the countries, which will accede in 2007. We are, in this context, planning to open embassies in Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania as well as a resident mission in Malta, later this year. We expect that these missions will play an important role in developing our political, economic, social and cultural relations with our new and acceding EU partners.

In addition, following the Government's decision to designate Vietnam as a programme country for development co-operation, we plan to open a resident mission in that country later this year.