Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the foreign visits planned for the remainder of 2010. [20864/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to a number of foreign trips for the remainder of 2010. As always all my travel as Minister for Foreign Affairs is carried out in pursuit of Ireland's foreign policy objectives, our economic interests, or both. The majority of my travel arises directly from Ireland's active and committed membership of the EU and UN.

It is my intention to attend the next meetings of the General Affairs Council and the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday June 14th and, as is usual, I will continue to attend Council meetings on a monthly basis throughout 2010. On September 10-11th the Belgian EU Presidency will host an informal Foreign Ministers meeting which I will attend. I will also attend a meeting of the European Council on September 16th.

As is customary, I am due to travel to New York in late September to attend the Ministerial week which marks the start of the new UN General Assembly session. The primary purpose of my visit will be to deliver Ireland's national statement to the General Assembly and also to undertake a series of bilateral meetings with senior UN officials and other Foreign Ministers.

Other visits which are now confirmed include a visit to China later this month, where I will meet with Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Minister Li Jiechi, and a range of Irish companies doing business in China, as well as with members of the Global Irish Network. I will also visit Expo 2010 in Shanghai and other institutions which are developing links with Ireland.

In late June and early July I plan to visit Uganda and Ethiopia, two of the nine priority countries for the Government's bilateral aid programme. The main purpose of my visit is to see at first-hand how Irish Aid is supporting the reduction of poverty and hunger in both of these countries. During this visit I will have the opportunity to meet with senior members of the Ugandan and Ethiopian Governments, with Irish NGOs and missionaries working in Uganda and Ethiopia, and with representatives of civil society. I will also pay a visit to the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa to discuss the role of the African Union and the wider political situation on the African continent.

I am also looking at the possibility of travelling to Argentina and Chile in July in the context of the Bicentennial celebrations in both countries. This would provide me with an opportunity to underpin the strong historic links that Ireland has with Argentina and Chile.

I intend to host a meeting of the Global Irish Network in New York in November. It is envisaged that this will be the largest Network meeting to date and will provide the opportunity to explore with North America-based members how best we can utilise the Network to Ireland's benefit in 2011 and beyond.

I plan to visit Russia in December. This will follow-up on the official visit paid by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to Dublin in September 2008. My visit will provide an opportunity to engage with the Russian leadership on bilateral and international issues and to advance Ireland's profile in Russia.

Lastly, I intend to visit a number of countries in the Western Balkans during the second half of 2010 but the exact itinerary is not yet finalised.