Ireland will not delay plans to enlarge the European Union following the rejection of the Nice Treaty in a referendum, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen said today.
Speaking in the Czech Republic, one of a dozen eastern and central European countries wishing to join the union, the Minister re-iterated the message that the shock No vote was not a vote against enlargement.
He told the Czech President Mr Vaclav Havel, that the Government believed the Czech Republic was likely to be among the first group of states ready to join the EU by the end of 2002.
Mr Cowen said after a meeting with Mr Havel in Prague: "Irish public opinion remains very supportive of the enlargement process.
"The result of the recent referendum in Ireland does not represent a rejection of enlargement by the Irish people.
"The government remains fully committed to assisting the enlargement negotiations with applicant countries within the timetable envisaged."
During his two-day visit to the country, Mr Cowen will also discuss regional issues, such as the situation in the Balkans, and will brief his Czech hosts on the current state of the Northern Ireland peace process.
Yesterday, Mr Cowen announced that Ireland is to open resident embassies in four of the applicant states - Cyprus, Estonia, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia - and that resident missions would be opened in all of the remaining states seeking EU membership over the next two years.
PA