Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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114. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken to the Irish Honorary Consul in Kyiv recently regarding the ongoing violence there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52717/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I have been following the situation in Ukraine very closely since protests began following the announcement on 21 November by Ukraine’s President, Viktor Yanukovych, of his decision to postpone preparations for the signature of the Association Agreement at last month’s Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. An estimated 350,000 took part in an anti-government rally in Kyiv on 1 December to demonstrate their support for Ukraine’s political association and closer integration with the EU. The protests have focused on Independence Square and in the areas surrounding the Presidential Administration, the Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament. There are also protests on a smaller scale in other parts of the country.

The rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and are fundamental in any society. I strongly believe that these rights should be fully respected by the Ukrainian authorities and would expect nothing less from the current holder of the Chairmanship-in-Office of the OSCE. The demonstrations have been largely peaceful though there have been reports of provocateurs being active among the crowds. The excessive use of force by the police over the weekend of 30 November-1 December in an effort to disperse peaceful protestors was not justified and has been, rightly, widely condemned.

I fully support the call made in Kyiv on 4 December by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, for an immediate and thorough investigation into the violence. In that context, I welcome Prime Minister Azarov’s apology to the people in Parliament on 3 December for the police actions and the announcement of measures to be taken against those who had used force. While I have not spoken to the Honorary Consul, I have been kept informed of developments by Ireland’s Prague-based Ambassador to Ukraine who was in Kyiv from 2-4 December. She has reported to me on meetings which she attended during her visit with the Ukrainian authorities, with other resident Ambassadors and with Ireland’s Honorary Consul.

As for the background to the demonstrations, I am on record as expressing our disappointment with Ukraine’s decision to postpone the Association Agreement process while reiterating that the European Union’s comprehensive and generous offer remains on the table. Together with the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement this package was the most ambitious offer made to any partner by the EU. It was also one very much in the interests of Ukraine and its people in terms of the long term benefits it would bring.

I am encouraged that contacts are ongoing between the Ukrainian government and the EU and hope that the Association Agreement process can be resumed. This will require Ukraine to make further tangible progress on the conditions set out by the Foreign Affairs Council last December, including in the area of selective justice. Important progress by Ukraine had been achieved. I commend the European Parliament’s monitoring mission, led by former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwaœnievski, and former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, for their intensive engagement with the Ukrainian authorities over many months on all areas of concern.

Of course, ultimately it is a matter for Ukraine to decide freely what kind of engagement it wishes to have with the EU. In the meantime, I urge the Ukrainian government to fully abide by its international commitments to respect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. In this very tense and fluid situation, it is incumbent on all sides to show the utmost restraint and I would stress the importance of dialogue to help reduce the tension and to try to find an agreed way forward.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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115. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has spoken to the Irish Honorary Consul in Bangkok recently regarding the ongoing violence there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52718/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I have been concerned by the reports of violence in Bangkok following recent protests there, and I note that all sides now appear to be exercising restraint. I also note that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called elections for next February.

Ireland’s Ambassador to Thailand, who is accredited from Kuala Lumpur, has been reporting to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since the protests began. The Honorary Consul in Bangkok, who is primarily responsible for consular matters under the guidance of the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, has advised that no Irish citizens to date have been affected by the protests. The Embassy has been in regular contact with a range of sources in Bangkok including the Thai Foreign Ministry, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union, local Irish sources and various Non-Governmental Organisations. My Department’s website is regularly updated to give Irish citizens the latest information on the situation in Thailand.

The Irish Government strongly supports the statement issued by the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, which called on all parties to respect the rule of law, avoid escalation and resolve differences through peaceful means. We will continue to use our sources to monitor the situation closely.