Madam, - I write to correct an incomplete report in your edition of Saturday, September 22nd, concerning Ireland's vote on nuclear safeguards in the Middle East at the recent general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Under the headline "Egypt criticises EU for nuclear vote stance", you report the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, as criticising the EU for failing to support the resolution calling on all states in the Middle East to renounce atomic weapons.
In fact Ireland, alone among EU member-states, did support the
resolution. This was in line with our general approach to nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation. - Yours, etc,
DERMOT AHERN TD,
Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Department of Foreign Affairs,
St Stephen's Green,
Dublin 2.