Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13489/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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This year marks the tenth anniversary of the signature of the Dayton Agreement, which brought an end to the war in Bosnia following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. In recent years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress in the transition from a post-conflict society to a functioning European state, which is developing its institutional relationship with the European Union. However, Bosnia still faces enormous challenges in overcoming the legacy of violence and division from the 1990s and working towards the goal of eventual integration into EU structures, on the basis of the shared agenda agreed at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki in June 2003.

In November 2003, the European Commission completed its feasibility study on the opening of negotiations for a stabilisation and association agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It identified 16 major areas of reform in which significant progress was required before the Commission could make a positive recommendation to the Council on the opening of negotiations. There is general agreement that, since then, the Bosnian authorities have taken a series of courageous political decisions to adopt and implement the reforms identified in the feasibility study. I hope that the Commission will be in a position to recommend to the Council in the coming months that sufficient progress has been made to enable the opening of negotiations. It will be a sign of hope for the region as a whole if we are in a position to take a positive decision on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

One of the issues which has impeded Bosnia's progress in its relations with the EU and in its application to join NATO's Partnership for Peace has been the level of co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in particular by the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska. Following pressure from the international community, transfers of indictees to face trial in The Hague have finally begun in recent months. This is an extremely positive development, although progress must be sustained. It remains essential, for instance, that, ten years after the Srbrenica massacre, General Ratko Mladic, the commander of Serb forces, and Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb wartime political leader, are arrested and transferred for trial in The Hague.

The EU will continue to work closely with the Bosnian authorities, and with the high representative for Bosnia, Lord Ashdown, who is also the EU special representative. The objective is to consolidate peace and democracy and to ensure the political, administrative and economic reforms necessary for the country's progress towards European integration. Under Ireland's EU Presidency, the Council adopted European partnerships for Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the other countries of the western Balkans, which draw on the experience of the latest enlargement process and identify specific areas of reform for further movement in the integration process. The June 2004 European Council also adopted a comprehensive policy on Bosnia and Herzegovina outlining the practical arrangements to strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of the EU's involvement in Bosnia.

The EU involvement developed further with the launch on 2 December 2004 of the EU force in Bosnia, Operation Althea. This EU military crisis management mission, which is authorised by the UN Security Council, follows on from the NATO-led peacekeeping force SFOR. The Defence Forces have deployed 53 personnel to the operation, most of whom are serving as part of the Finnish-led multinational task force north, based in Tuzla. The EU force is working alongside the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia to ensure peace and stability, to assist the Bosnian authorities in tackling organised crime and to improve border security and restructure the Bosnian state security services.

The head of the police mission is Assistant Garda Commissioner Kevin Carty. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, visited Bosnia on 19 and 20 March to meet with Irish military and police personnel serving in Bosnia and with members of the Irish community working with Bosnian and international organisations in the country. She expressed the deep appreciation of the Government and people of Ireland for their work in support of the consolidation of a multi-ethnic and democratic society.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the political, humanitarian and security situation in Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13501/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Following the elections of 30 January, a lengthy process of negotiation between the parties to form the new Iraqi transitional government seems now to be coming to a conclusion. Earlier this month, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani was nominated as President of Iraq, and Ibrahim Jafaari of the United Iraqi Coalition, the leading Shia grouping, was named as Prime Minister. Further negotiations have continued over the division of ministerial portfolios and the programme for the new government and it is reported this morning that yesterday the national assembly approved the nominations to most ministerial posts. The remaining ministries are expected to be filled shortly. The interim Iraqi Government of Mr. Allawi, which was appointed in June 2004, will then be succeeded by the transitional Iraqi Government under Mr. Jafaari.

This will represent an important milestone on the path to political reconstruction of Iraq mapped out in UN Security Council Resolution 1546 of June 2004. It will also be the first time that Iraqis have had a government freely chosen by themselves. The transitional government and national assembly have challenging work ahead of them in rebuilding an effective administration and drawing up a new constitution for Iraq.

They also face a critical challenge in overcoming the very difficult security situation. While there have been some reports of an overall lessening of the number of attacks, it is clear that violence and murders continue in many areas of the country. Much of the violence seems now to consist of sectarian attacks on Shia communities, intended to provoke the Shia population into retaliation against the Sunni minority. Attacks are also directed against Iraqis who are trying to play a part in the rebuilding of their country, in the security forces or the administration. Yesterday Ms Lamia Khadouri, a member of the new national assembly, was murdered. The development of effective Iraqi security forces will be the key not only to providing security for Iraqis but to establishing the conditions which will enable the Iraqi Government to do without the assistance of the multinational forces currently in Iraq.

Establishment of security for Iraqi citizens, rebuilding of government services such as education, health services and sanitation, and the return of displaced persons to their homes are the main humanitarian issues facing Iraq at present. The continuing violence, including attacks on aid workers, is greatly hampering international and Iraqi efforts to tackle these problems.

The External Relations Council on 25 April looked forward to the early formation of the Iraqi transitional government and restated the EU's willingness to assist Iraq in the process of political and economic reconstruction.