IRISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BILATERAL TREATIES

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001805 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ECIN KTIA EINV ETRD EU SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON BILATERAL TREATIES OF FRIENDSHIP, COMMERCE, AND NAVIGATION (FCNS) REF: STATE 247689 ¶1. On December 1, Post delivered reftel talking points to Tony Joyce, Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE) Senior Trade Negotiator. Post noted that the United States and Ireland have a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, dating back to 1950, with a Protocol signed in ¶1992. Joyce asked for several days to confer with colleagues, including DETE officials stationed in Brussels. On December 15, Joyce replied that Ireland concurred with USG talking points and supported maintenance of the U.S.-Ireland treaty. He added that the GOI would convey this position to the Commission in the lead-up to the April 30, 2005, expiration of EU Council decision 2001/855/EC, which permitted the continuation in force of such agreements. KENNY