asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government approve of the decision of the United States Government to impose trade sanctions against Nicaragua; if the Government have made any representations to the US Government in protest at this move; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Government have not been asked by the US administration either to participate in or to approve the economic sanctions against Nicaragua which were announced on 1 May 1985.

All parties involved in the Central American situation including the US are fully aware of our position. Our approach, which is also that of the ten member states of the European Community, is that the problems of the region can only be solved by a political agreement coming from within the region itself. For this reason Ireland fully supports Security Council Resolution 562 of 10 May 1985. That resolution which was adopted at the conclusion of an urgent meeting of the Security Council requested by Nicaragua, sets out four key points. First, it reaffirmed the sovereignty and inalienable right of Nicaragua to freely decide on its own political, economic and social systems. Secondly, it reaffirmed support for the Contadora process. Thirdly, it called on all states to refrain from carrying out, supporting or promoting economic or military actions of any kind against any state in the region which might impede the Contadora process. Fourthly, it called on the Governments of the US and Nicaragua to resume the dialogue they had been holding in Manzanillo, Mexico, towards reaching agreement on normalising their relations.

Together with our partners in the European Community we will continue to do whatever we can to help those directly involved to achieve enduring peace and stability in the region. As the Deputy knows, the San Jose Conference in September 1984 saw the initiation of a process of political and economic dialogue between the two regions. This dialogue has helped underpin the Contadora process. Since the San Jose Conference a number of successful meetings have been held between the Commission of the European Community and representatives of Central America. The Commission has now submitted to the EC Council of Ministers a draft negotiating mandate for the conclusion of an Economic Co-operation Agreement between the two regions. It is proposed that a substantial increase in aid to Central America will follow the conclusion of the agreement. I hope that a second conference of Foreign Ministers to discuss both economic and political issues and to conclude the Economic Co-operation Agreement will take place in Luxembourg before the end of the the year.

In view of the close relationship between this country and the United States, does the Minister not consider it appropriate that our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Government should indicate our dissatisfaction with the direction in which the United States is moving in regard to Nicaragua? While it is laudable that our position should be put forward as part of the policy of the EC, our membership of the Community does not mean that we must lose our individuality. We can still put forward our views as an individual country which has relations with the United States in regard to their moves to overthrow a democratically elected government in Nicaragua.

Our general approach to the position in Central America is that the problems of the region can only be solved by political agreement within the region itself. I specifically mentioned that we support Security Council Resolution No. 562 which calls on all states to refrain from carrying out, supporting or promoting economic and military actions of any kind against any state in the region which might impede the Contadora peace.