WORLD TRADE TALKS:MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner said last night they shared "serious concerns" at the current state of the world trade talks.
They also said that member states' ability to veto a World Trade Organisation (WTO) deal would not be affected by the Lisbon Treaty.
In a joint statement issued after an informal meeting at the French foreign ministry on the Quai d'Orsay, they said they "share serious concerns at the lack of balance in negotiations".
"The Ministers agreed that it is entirely clear that a WTO deal will require the unanimous approval of all member states," the statement said.
"This unanimity requirement will not be changed by the Lisbon Treaty. It will continue to apply in future to the conclusion of important international trade agreements such as the current WTO negotiations."
The Franco-Irish statement appears to have been aimed primarily at the Irish Farmers' Association, which yesterday recommended that its 85,000 members vote Yes in the June 12th referendum.
Mr Martin said the fact that the commission and now France - "a major trading nation which has a huge stake in the WTO negotiations" - reconfirmed the right of any EU country to veto WTO deals under the Lisbon Treaty "means that, once again, a key claim of the No campaign has been shown to be completely unfounded".
Mr Martin said his entente with Dr Kouchner on issues affecting Irish farmers was "an important illustration of the fact that Ireland is not alone in our opposition to certain developments in the WTO negotiations".
It also showed "the importance of building and sustaining alliances with key member states so as to secure positive outcomes that defend Irish interests," he said.
"This is a key reason why we need a Yes vote next week."
The visit to Paris was Mr Martin's second trip abroad since his appointment, following his attendance at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels last week.
Mr Kouchner is inviting all of his European counterparts to dinner in Paris before the French presidency starts on July 1st.
The foreign ministers of Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Cyprus and Romania, and Olli Rehn, the commissioner for enlargement, also attended last night's dinner.