Written answers

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Department of Foreign Affairs

Diplomatic Representation

9:00 pm

Photo of Dinny McGinleyDinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the diplomatic contacts Ireland has with Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23720/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland and Sri Lanka maintain good diplomatic relations. Our Ambassador in Delhi is also accredited to Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Ireland is accredited from London. Ireland is also represented in Sri Lanka by an Honorary Consul in Colombo.

My predecessor, Minister Dermot Ahern, made a visit to Sri Lanka in 2005 in the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami. During that visit, he met with a number of high-level political leaders, including the then Prime Minister, now President Rajapakse. He also met Concern, GOAL and Trócaire workers in Sri Lanka, and visited some of their programmes. The Government's Special Envoy for the tsunami, Mr. Chris Flood, also paid three visits to Sri Lanka during his tenure in that role.

The then Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr. Tyrone Fernando, visited Dublin in May 2003 and met with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Regular visits are made by officials from our Embassy in New Delhi to Sri Lanka. During a visit in February, the Deputy Head of Mission met President Rajapakse, Foreign Minister Bollogolama and senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials. Our Ambassador is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka again next month. My Department also maintains good working contacts with the Sri Lankan Embassy in London.

Senior officials from my Department also recently met with Dr Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary-General of the Sri Lankan Government's Secretariat for the Coordination of the Peace Process (SCOPP). The Government is seriously concerned by the termination of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement in January of this year, and the subsequent serious escalation in violence in that country. These, and our concerns regarding the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, were directly conveyed to Dr Wijesinha.

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