Jun 15, 2008, 16:05 GMT
Dublin - Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said Sunday there is 'no obvious solution' to the dilemma faced by Ireland and the European Union (EU) following the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.
Cowen told RTE radio that Ireland and the Union are in 'uncharted territory ... we have to now try and chart that uncharted territory.' He added there is 'no quick fix' to the problem: 'It's not clear how we're going to proceed.'
In a referendum on Thursday Irish voters rejected the treaty aimed at making the 27-member bloc more efficient by 53.4 per cent to 46.6 per cent.
'We now have to sit down in a sense of solidarity and cooperation with all member states and see if we can find a way forward,' the Irish premier said, adding 'I want Europe to try and provide some of the solutions rather than just suggesting it's Ireland's problem alone.'
Cowen, who took office in May, ruled out any kind of associate EU membership for Ireland. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested on Saturday that Ireland could temporarily withdraw from closer integration efforts while the other 26-members continue to ratify the treaty.
'I want Ireland to continue to be a constructive member of the Union ... I passionately believe that Ireland's future is to be at the heart of the EU,' he said.
Cowen's ruling Fianna Fail and the main opposition parties Fine Gael and Labour all campaigned for a yes vote. The prime minister admitted that the yes camp 'didn't run as effective a campaign as perhaps we should have,' but he accused the no campaign of 'an orchestrated effort to confuse' through untrue statements and the raising of extraneous issues.
The Irish government hasn't ruled out a re-run of the referendum as occurred when Ireland rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001 before accepting it a year later. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Sunday that Ireland shouldn't be 'bulldozed' into a re-run.
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