Ahern sends greetings to the pope

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, sent greetings to the Pope today to mark the opening of Ireland’s spell of European Union presidency.

Responding to the pontiff’s World Day of Peace message, Mr Ahern said Pope John Paul’s home country of Poland was among new member states scheduled to join the EU on May 1.

He added: “His Holiness played a significant role throughout his pontificate, in promoting peace and democracy in the former Soviet-controlled states of Eastern Europe.

“I send him the thanks and best wishes of all Europeans and I have no doubt he will be having a special celebration on May 1 next.

“The message from His Holiness on this World Day of Peace could not be timelier.

“The peace agenda that he sets out is one to which Ireland and our partners in the European Union subscribe and which will inform our work during the Irish Presidency.”

Mr Ahern said the latest Irish presidency was occurring at an auspicious time for the European Union.

“During the next six months it will grow from 15 member states to 25 – its largest single expansion.

“We will mark this historic day here in Dublin with a major event to welcome our old friends and new partners into the European Union.

“Over the past 50 years, the people of Europe have created an area of peace and prosperity. Europeans – working together – have created a European identity, which is synonymous with values that all decent and good people stand for.

“As we look to the future we should let the past inform our action. As President, Ireland will seek to ensure greater security and safety for all the people of the European Union.

“The EU plays a major role on the world stage.

“We intend to engage with our partners and ensure all interests and concerns are taken into account.

“We will emphasise transatlantic relations in particular.

“We will also stress the importance of the world’s nations working together in the interest of effective international relations.

“And we intend to make further progress on the issues of conflict prevention and human rights.”

Mr Ahern set the promotion of African issues as “a major priority” for the Irish presidency.

He declared: “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. We must seriously, coherently and consistently engage with African partners to find comprehensive solutions to these problems.”

In relation to Iraq, Mr Ahern said the international community as a whole had to pull together to ensure that the people of Iraq were able to live in a peaceful and secure society, under a representative government, as soon as possible.

And in a reference to Northern Ireland, the Taoiseach said: “Our search for peace has, in the course of 2003, offered us ongoing challenges.

“However, we realise that the creation of peace is a process, and the sustaining of peace can be as fraught as the achieving of an agreement in the first place.

“In spite of the difficulties that we have faced, however, we enter 2004 in a spirit of hope and confidence in the commitment on all sides to the deepening of the peace on the island of Ireland, through the ongoing implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.”