Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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20. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he raised the ongoing war in Yemen with his Saudi Arabian counterparts during his trade mission to Saudi Arabia in November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18741/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I visited Saudi Arabia from 12 – 15 November 2021 as part of an Enterprise Ireland-led trade mission to the Gulf region. The trade mission was organised by Enterprise Ireland and had the participation of 60 Irish companies and organisations. Irish business-to-business interests are growing in the Gulf region. Exports by Irish companies to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2020, even against the backdrop of a global pandemic, increased by 12% and 6% respectively, signifying the interest by Irish companies and the continued strong opportunities that exist in this rapidly growing market.

The primary focus of all trade missions and associated meetings is to encourage business-to-business links, to maximise opportunities to help Irish companies to access new markets and to increase the levels of foreign direct investment into Ireland which in turn creates employment opportunities.

While in Saudi Arabia, I held meetings with the President of the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Governor and Board of the Saudi Central Bank, the Saudi Minister for Commerce, the Saudi Minister for Investment, and the Saudi Minister for Transport. These meetings were arranged as part of the trade mission to further our trade and investment promotion objectives in Saudi Arabia. I also had discussions on the social and economic transformation which is underway, as part of the Saudi government’s Vision 2030. This aims to diversify the Saudi economy, encourage greater personal freedoms, and deepen Saudi Arabia’s engagement with regional and international partners which include the European Union.

To be effective in raising human rights issues with other countries we must do it in an appropriate way and at the right opportunity, so that our concerns are taken seriously and acted upon. Ireland has always been at the forefront internationally in raising human rights issues through bilateral contacts and especially through the European Union and the United Nations.

I am deeply concerned by the high number of civilian casualties as a result of the Yemen conflict. The EU has been consistently clear that all parties to the conflict have an obligation to uphold International Humanitarian Law. Protecting and promoting human rights is a cornerstone of Ireland’s foreign policy, as it is for the European Union. Ireland is committed to all aspects of human rights, and encourages adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in both bilateral dialogues, and in appropriate international fora.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has also been very clear in his engagement with Saudi Arabia, UAE and others in the region that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and all parties must engage with the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to bring about a peaceful and sustainable solution to this conflict.