EU Presidency ceremony
Mark Brennock,
Chief Political
Correspondent
The Taoiseach has formally marked the beginning of Ireland's six-month EU Presidency, promising to work "with ambition and humility" to progress the European agenda.
Speaking after raising the EU flag at a ceremony in Dublin Castle, Mr Ahern said the Union would be transformed during Ireland's Presidency by growing from 15 member states to 25 on May 1st next.
Speaking to an invited audience of Ministers, Ministers of State, former Taoisigh, diplomats and other guests, Mr Ahern said the Presidency was very demanding for a small country, and that the Government would also have to concentrate on Northern Ireland and its domestic legislative agenda during the six months in which it will be leading EU affairs.
He said the Government would attempt to make progress on a range of issues including the attempt to agree a new EU Constitutional Treaty. Mr Ahern said he would report to the European Council meeting in March on any progress on this issue, following the failure to agree the treaty at last month's Brussels Summit.
Other issues on which the Presidency would attempt to make progress included economic reform, justice and security issues, Europe's external relations and the completion of enlargement on May 1st.
In a separate statement responding to the Pope's World Day of Peace Message, the Taoiseach praised Pope John Paul II for his role "in promoting peace and democracy in the former Soviet Controlled states of Eastern Europe.."
He said the peace agenda set out by the Pope was one to which Ireland and its EU partners subscribed. The Pope had also underlined the importance of individuals and non-governmental organisations in the struggle for human rights. A specific initiative of the Irish Presidency in the area of human rights is the adoption of EU guidelines in support of human rights defenders.
Ireland would also work to push African issues higher up the EU's agenda and to revitalize EU/African co-operation. "There are 291 million people living below the poverty line in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 28 million are infected with HIV/AIDS. Over a dozen conflict situations exacerbate this humanitarian crisis. It is simply not an option for us to turn our backs. "
In relation to the Middle East he said Ireland would continue to pursue "a just and lasting two state solution".
Speaking of the situation in Iraq he said the international community "must pull together to ensure that the people of Iraq are able to live in a peaceful and secure society, under a representative government, as soon as possible."