Stronger Foreign Policy Statement Acts as Personal Manifesto

Foreign Affairs Minister Tomás Ó Ceallaigh has announced a list of eight targets for the Foreign Office to aim to achieve during the next parliamentary term. The statement indicates at building a core of four major allies and then going about attaining six new recognition and friendship treaties with new MCS neighbours of the Republic as a priority.

Interestingly there are also plans to only allow the signing of treaties to be conducted with other MCS members. When challenged about this policy being seen as 'shunning nations in limbo' Ó Ceallaigh responded:

"Nations that exist outside of the MCS we'd recommend join the organisation [the MCS] and they wouldn't be shunned by far. The legislation planned would simply restrict the signing of treaties with 'outsider' nations and wouldn't prevent us from issuing a statement of recognition and offering aid [to non MCS nations]."

Also in the package would be to appoint a Foreign Affairs deputy to aid in the planned higher frequency of visits to other allies and treaty-holding nations. A commitment would be made ensuring that the closest allies were visited every 7 days as a minimum.

President James A. Grieve seemed satisfied with the ideas put forward and remarked:

"This is very promising. And as a manifesto for 'what you will do if elected and made foreign minister again', you certainly have my vote."

In many respects this mission statement from the 'outgoing' Foreign Minister does act as a small personal pledge to the country should he be put back in office at the ever-nearing elections. On the other this has been the most active period of Foreign diplomacy displayed by the Republic since the dawning of republicanism on our islands. After a string of failures in the past leading to a great sense of political isolationism maybe the time is now to continue forward. One thing is for sure, if Ó Ceallaigh isn't put back into the Foreign Office, there is a pretty good manual for his replacement to work with.