Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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167. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government supports a government in Ukraine that has five ministerial posts from the far-right Svoboda Party and that works hard to de-escalate the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13094/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Ireland strongly supports the new interim government in Kiev which took up office on 27 February following the dramatic events of the preceding weeks, culminating in the departure of Viktor Yanukovych. The government’s Minsters are drawn from a number of different political groupings including the Svoboda party. The Taoiseach has written to Prime Minister Yatseniuk, offering his congratulations and I, for my part, have written in similar terms to interim Foreign Minister Deshchytsia. The Foreign Minister attended a meeting with EU Ministers immediately before the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 March at which Ireland was represented by the Minster of State for European Affairs, Paschal Donohoe T.D.

The new government is confronted with the most extraordinary challenges as a consequence of the Russian Federation’s flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity leading to the illegal referendum on 16 March and the effective annexation of Crimea two days later. Prime Minister Yatseniuk attended the meeting of EU Heads of State and Government in Brussels on 6 March and provided a comprehensive briefing to the Taoiseach and other leaders on the situation in his country. He subsequently attended last week’s European Council where he and EU leaders including the Taoiseach signed the political chapters of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The signature is a demonstration of the EU’s strong political support for, and solidarity with, the government and people of Ukraine. At the economic level, a major package of financial assistance to Kiev worth up to €11 billion has been endorsed by the Heads of State and Government.

At his meetings with the EU Heads of State and Government in Brussels, as well as at his appearance before the UN Security Council on 13 March, the Prime Minister has been quite clear that he and his government wish to work towards an immediate de-escalation of tensions and to initiate contacts with the Russian Federation with a view to peacefully resolving the crisis through dialogue. Following its meeting on 20 March, the European Council adopted Conclusions underlining the Union’s supports for the Ukrainian people and their right to choose their own future. The European Union encourages the government to ensure that the Presidential election on 25 May will be free and fair. The Union stands by the Ukrainian government in its efforts to stabilise the economy and undertake reforms. The Conclusions also commend the measured response shown so far by Ukraine.

The EU has welcomed the Ukrainian government’s commitment to ensuring the representative nature and inclusiveness of governmental structures, reflecting regional diversity. We also welcome the government’s commitment to ensure the full protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, to undertake constitutional reform, to investigate all human rights violations and acts of violence and to fight extremism. I look forward, in this connection, to the early establishment of the Council of Europe International Advisory Board and therefore welcome the visit of the Council of Europe’s Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland to Kiev on 10 March where he had constructive talks with the interim government and civil society.