REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS, NICOSIA, CYPRUS, MONDAY, 9TH OCTOBER 06
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS, NICOSIA, CYPRUS, MONDAY, 9TH OCTOBER, 2006 EUROPE’S NEW HORIZONS
Dia dhíobh go léir.
Is an-mhór an áthais atá orm bheith i bhur measc inniu agus ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl díbh don fáilte a raibh fíor agus flaithiúil.
O MARTIN KE GO IMASTE POLI EFTIHIS PU IMASTE EDO, STIN PROTI EPISIMI EPISKEPSI ARHIGU TU IRLANDIKU KRATUS, STIN KYPRO.
Martin and I are delighted to be here, on the first-ever State visit to Cyprus by an Irish President.
I thank the University, and especially the Rector and Vice-Rectors, for inviting me to visit and speak at this distinguished seat of learning. My own career before becoming President was almost entirely spent in a University setting and I always feel most at home among university students and staff.
Ireland and Cyprus although two small islands situated at opposite ends of Europe have the strongest bonds of friendship which are robust enough to transcend even the passions of recent footballing encounters. I can safely say I am accompanied on this trip by the biggest and probably the most fun-loving delegation ever experienced on a State Visit. Cyprus is no of course stranger to visiting Irish. Last year, more than 53,000 of our people came here on holiday drawn by your legendary climate, your islands great beauty and antiquity and of course the welcome.
But probably the most profound human connection between our countries has been created by our army and police force through 40 years of peace-keeping service here with the United Nations. Our own nation has a recent history of violent conflict and partition so we have a special insight into the complexities of the situation in Cyprus. I am immensely proud of the work carried out by the Irish men and women who have served here and of the genuine affection and empathy they have created between our two peoples.
Ireland was privileged to host the EU Presidency at the time of enlargement on May 1st 2004. Wonderful as the Day of Welcomes was, we were naturally disappointed that the desired accession of a united Cyprus did not prove possible. Yet we know from our own direct experience just how very difficult, painstaking and time-consuming it is to overcome the cruel legacy of conflict and division. We also know how crucial dialogue is to conflict resolution and how central too is the ongoing role of the United Nations.
We particularly welcome the 8th of July Agreement between President Papadopoulos and Mr Talat and hope that the two technical committees envisaged under this Agreement will create a good climate in which to deal with fundamental questions. Ireland strongly encourages a renewed commitment on all sides to the negotiating process and to the achievement of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation through an honourable, balanced, and durable settlement, protecting and guaranteeing the basic interests and aspirations of all the people of the island.
Ireland’s history equips us well to appreciate the challenges facing Cyprus. Our history of colonial domination by Britain, our long struggle for independence, the partitioning of our country - had long combined to make our relationship with our neighbouring island and the partitioned North of our country far from happy. When we joined the European Union things began to change, for now our former imperial masters were our partners around the Union table and over the thirty years of membership as a productive network of relationships with our neighbours grew, there emerged a hugely positive and mutually respectful, genuine friendship between Ireland and Britain. From that has come a shared approach to solving the problem of partition and sectarian division and of course we have had considerable constructive support and encouragement from all our European partners in the search for a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland. This new climate has helped the people who share the island of Ireland to put aside historical animosities and create new structures for the conduct of future relations between our jurisdictions and the differing political and cultural traditions. The very model of the European Union itself has been an inspirational catalyst for change for it grew out of the horrendous violence of the Second World War and it brought together winners and losers, neighbours who were old and bitter enemies and it turned them into partners, colleagues and friends.
The European Union is still a very young phenomenon but already we have experienced how as citizens we can share a common focus and at the same time retain and even enhance our own national identity, proud Europeans and proud Irish, proud Cypriots. It was fitting, perhaps, that Ireland, a country that benefited so comprehensively from the Union’s first enlargement, should have held the Presidency when the Union’s most far-reaching and ambitious expansion took place in 2004. It was a great honour for me to welcome the Cypriot delegation to that Day of Welcomes when the scars of Europe’s Cold War divisions were finally healed.
Georgios Iakovou once described Cyprus and Ireland as the lighthouses of Europe, one in the South Eastern corner and one at the North Western tip. And yes we are located on Europe’s fringes but we are also very definitely at its heart for around the Union table we each bring our respective national experiences and unique perspectives to bear on the evolution of the Union’s gathering wisdom and direction.
When we first joined, Ireland was probably the least developed country in Western Europe. Like Cyprus, Ireland was historically a country of high emigration and, as a result, Irish communities can be found spread throughout the world. Our emigrants went to the same countries as yours, to Britain, the United States and Australia among others. Their contribution to their adopted homes was immense and through their fidelity to Ireland they also provided us with an invaluable network of global connections, especially in the United States, where Irish Americans are both numerous and influential.
In the last decade, our historical experience has been reversed. Today, Ireland can boast one of the world’s most vibrant economies. Our young people no longer need to leave Ireland to find opportunities. Moreover, many who emigrated in the past have now returned to make their lives in their home country. Ireland is now attracting migrants from all over the world and particularly from across Europe.
Ireland’s advancement cannot be explained solely by EU membership. We had to make difficult decisions and endure harsh changes but today we can see how these sacrifices have paid rich dividends. We invested heavily in education and worked hard to attract investment to our shores. We created a stable climate for investors through our social partnership model with all the major players, employees, employers, farmers, the voluntary and community sector sitting down regularly with government to agree a common agenda. We have tried to make good use of the opportunities and the resources afforded us by membership and while European engagement does not guarantee success we have found it to be a powerful facilitator. The Irish economic experience is often cited as a model and an inspiration for some of the newer European Union members but at a much broader level we have also experienced how as a small nation our voice can be heard much more effectively on the world stage through participation and input into European decision making.
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the new Europe’s founding document on which today’s edifice of European integration has been constructed. This is an opportunity to look back at Europe’s undoubted achievements in helping to usher in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity. When contrasted with the years that preceded the formation of the Union there is simply no comparison but nor is there any room for complacency. The European Union remains a work in progress and many challenges lie ahead. Conflict and division persist in parts of Europe, not least on this island and on my own. Europe’s prosperity and wellbeing is not guaranteed in perpetuity. It has to be constantly worked at if we are to maintain and develop our position in an increasingly competitive global economic environment.
There are also many external challenges facing Europe. We cannot ignore the reality of turmoil and instability in neighbouring regions and you have good reason to know how easily and unexpectedly events can come right to your own doorstep. Cyprus had the task earlier this year of providing temporary refuge for those fleeing the terrible conflict in the Lebanon – a task it fulfilled with generosity and commitment. The precariousness of the Middle East poses an immense ongoing challenge for European diplomacy, to say nothing of the misery it is inflicting on a daily basis for so many of our fellow human beings.
Yet it seems easier to face these many problems together rather than alone and now as beneficiaries of European enlargement, we are confronted with planning for the Union’s future enlargement agenda. Enlargement has been one of Europe’s undeniable achievements. Soon with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania we will have 27 Member States and many others knocking at the door seeking entry. The road to further expansion looks set to be a long and difficult one though it is important that each candidate be judged on its own merits and that we remember the vision that underpins the Union and its remarkable successes to date.
The original object of the Treaty of Rome which was to consolidate peace in post-war Europe and create harmony between France and Germany, has been more than fulfilled. In subsequent decades, European accession has helped to transform an impoverished Ireland into an economic powerhouse. It has underpinned democracy in southern Europe following the fall of dictatorships in Spain, Portugal and Greece. Most recently, it has facilitated the transition from Communism to freedom and democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, ending the estrangement of the Cold war. In the process, an enormous single market has been created, the euro has been successfully launched and Europe has assumed a more prominent role in international affairs. The prospect of eventual membership has been the driving force behind reform in other parts of Europe, notably in the recently-troubled Western Balkans: so the ambition for membership is itself a very positive source of peace, stability and democratisation around the Union’s borders.
There is no denying that creating a larger European Union will be a difficult process with political, economic and institutional hurdles to be overcome. The way in which we can prepare the ground for any future intake of members is for the current members to fulfil their fullest potential while remaining alive to the hopes and aspirations of fellow Europeans who see themselves as eventual members of our unique family of European nations - and our great adventure in prosperity and peace building through partnership.
As we face the task - both individually as nations and collectively as the Union - of realising our potential, we have the stark choice of either investing in the knowledge economy or sliding down the world’s wealth league. The Lisbon Agenda of economic renewal seeks to make Europe the foremost, knowledge-based community in the world and there is no short cut to achieving that ambition. It calls for investment in our people, in their education and training, their talents and skills. It calls for investment in research especially in science and technology and greater uptake of all levels of education including fourth level, doctoral studies. The greater the collaboration between us and our institutions the better we will harness all Europe’s resources in meeting our goals.
Europe faces a demanding agenda on the external relations front. European values and traditions are widely admired in other parts of the world and we have a responsibility as well as an opportunity to be agents of change and agents of good particularly in those countries where there is endemic poverty and wasteful conflict.
I know Cyprus shares Ireland’s deep concern about the developing world and indeed we are partners in helping Lesotho bring primary education to all its children for the first time.
In Ireland, we have recently committed ourselves to achieving the UN’s target of spending 0.7% of our national wealth on development aid. This target is to be reached in 2012, three years ahead of the schedule agreed at European level. This is a reflection of our longstanding commitment to a fairer world in which the scourge of poverty is tackled in a decisive and energetic manner.
The coherence of Europe’s external policies is likely to be tested in the years ahead. There are security threats to be faced. Illegal immigration will continue to need priority attention. Europeans are likely to be called upon to lend a hand in containing and resolving international crises as well as responding in timely and effective fashion to humanitarian crises. We are also entering an age when several major players are emerging on the world stage. The booming economies of China and India, Russia’s strength as an energy producer, instability in the Middle East, poverty in Africa and the ongoing damage to the earth’s environment, these are issues likely to feature large on Europe’s agenda for the foreseeable future.
The final European challenge I want to deal with is the Constitutional one. The Constitution Treaty, which was concluded during Ireland’s 2004 EU Presidency, provides a framework for directing an expanded Europe with 25 and more Member States. It is not a constitution in the true sense in that it does not seek to supersede longstanding national arrangements. It is a constitutional document that reflects the unique character of the European Union, which is not a federation, but is much more than a conventional regional organisation. It defines more clearly than before the areas where the Union has competence. It also sets out its values and principles with clarity and makes sensible institutional arrangements for the effective management of European affairs in the years and decades ahead.
It is clear that great uncertainty currently surrounds the ultimate fate of the Constitutional Treaty following the referendum results in France and the Netherlands. Ireland’s Government remains committed to the Treaty as a framework for the future success of the Union and it is to be hoped that next year’s 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome will encourage Europe’s citizens and governments to look afresh at this issue and its implications for the Union’s future.
As citizens of Europe engaged in this hugely noble endeavour that is the Union we are privileged to be entering a new era in European collegiality. The Union needs our commitment just as our voices and concerns must have easy access to and respect from the centre. We are Europe’s architects and its artisans, the hands and brains which will build it well or build it badly. We need to have a strong heart for Europe and its possibilities, a deep faith in its vision and its values. In both Cyprus and Ireland these are part of the fresh new legacy we will hand to our children.
I hope that Cyprus’s membership will prove to be as beneficial an experience it has undoubtedly been for Ireland. I hope our young people will in the years ahead grow to become proud Europeans who feel as at home in Limassol as they do in Dublin, proud of their strong, vibrant national cultures and identities and proud to be able to showcase them to their fellow European citizens. I hope they will understand with real passion that as European citizens they are playing an extraordinary role in creating a more stable, secure and equitable world. The old days of small countries being dominated and colonised by more powerful and greedy nations are gone in Europe. The days of a continent of warring nations are gone. The infamous days of European soil running red with the blood of her young men in their millions - they are gone. Europe is now the world’s lighthouse, bringing hope to those whose lives are still mired in poverty and oppression, in enmity and despair.
Ireland and Cyprus, two small feisty nations, are Europe’s sentinels, fighting with words and ideals, with jobs and with democracy, the battles of the twenty-first centuries. Small nations with strong independent voices made even stronger by speaking in unison with one another. We are a very lucky generation - the luckiest in our nation’s respective histories - to be called to this great vocation of making Europe the best it can be, the best it has ever been.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.