McElduff takes SF case to Strasbourg
Barry McElduff, Sinn Fein Ard Chomhairle member, returned this week from ``a highly successful but hectic round of political engagements'' at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
McElduff, Sinn Fein's West Tyrone elected talks delegate, spent five days in France presenting the Republican analysis and building on previous Sinn Fein and personal contacts.
McElduff had a number of meetings with French, Italian, German and Irish MEPs from across the political spectrum including former French Prime Minister, Mr Michel Rocard.
After the meetings with members from the United Left, Union for Europe, European Socialist Party and Green Party, McElduff said, ``the meetings are very significant, and extremely important in challenging the British spin on the Irish peace initiative.''
He said that the hour long meeting with Mr Rocard was ``particularly useful, given his primary role in international, diplomatic peace missions in the past. We discussed their relevance to our British problem in considerable detail.''
McElduff contrasted the European stance with the more pro-active stance of the US government. He also discussed the idea of establishing a formal `Inter Group' within the European Parliament to focus on the resolution of the conflict in Ireland and laid plans for a possible fact-finding visits to Ireland in the future.
McElduff was welcomed to France by members of `Solidarite Irlande', who co-sponsored his visit with Sinn Fein's international department. Before travelling to the European Parliament, McElduff conducted a number of press conferences, public meetings and video debates in Paris and Le Mans, including a meeting at the prestigious Sorbonne University. He also met regional officials in Paris and Strasbourg. In Paris, he also met with Basque and Kurdish Solidarity Groups.
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