The Minister for Foreign Affairs has announced new resident embassies in four EU candidate countries in a move designed to underline Ireland's support for EU enlargement despite the rejection of the Nice Treaty.
Mr Cowen used an official visit to Prague yesterday to announce plans to open embassies in Cyprus, Estonia, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
"The decision should be seen as evidence of the Government's continuing commitment to the enlargement of the European Union", he said.
Mr Cowen spoke last July of his intention that Ireland would open resident embassies in all 12 EU applicant states. The Government formally approved this policy last Tuesday. Ireland already has resident embassies in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Four more are now approved, and embassies are expected to be open in all 12 within two years.
Mr Cowen made his announcement after meeting the President of the Czech Republic, Mr Vaclav Havel, in Prague yesterday for talks which concentrated almost entirely on the Irish referendum result.
Government sources conceded last night that while Mr Cowen had signalled his intention to open the 12 new embassies last July, the timing of yesterday's announcement related to the Nice Treaty referendum result.
The Government also sees the embassies as an important advance in boosting trade and investment relationships with the central and east European states. At present, the 12 applicant states account for just 3 per cent of Ireland's trade, and the Government believes this could be expanded greatly.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, has rejected suggestions that his comments in Gothenburg, including his statement that the rejection of the Nice Treaty was a "healthy development", were contrary to Government policy.
"I gave my assessment of the outcome of the Nice referendum", he said. "The people gave a message in the Nice referendum and it behoves all of us to take it into account."