中国驻爱尔兰大使在爱尔兰环境部长演讲的时候，因为对方提到西藏问题，而中途退席抗议，爱尔兰外长否认这是件媒体形容的外交纠纷。
根据电视台播出的画面，中国驻爱尔兰大使刘碧伟，星期六晚上，出席一项活动，爱尔兰环境布长戈姆雷在演说的时候，批评中国在西藏侵害人权，他呼吁中国和达赖喇嘛对话，刘碧伟歪头与随行的幕僚商量之后，起身走人。
戈姆雷是爱尔兰绿党党魁，绿党则是爱尔兰联合政府的合作伙伴，这件事在外交圈引发议论，爱尔兰外长艾亨说，戈姆雷呼吁中国和达赖喇嘛对话，是表达爱尔兰政府的立场，中国必须准许独立的观察人员和记者进入西藏。戈姆雷宣称，他事先知会过中国大使馆，对方应该知道，他要在演讲中，谈到西藏问题，不过刘碧伟的机要秘书说，如果刘碧伟事先知道戈姆雷要讲这个，他就不会出席了。而依据爱尔兰外长艾亨的说法，刘碧伟中途退席，可能是不满戈姆雷在演讲中，错把西藏说成国家。
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Irish minister stands by his Tibet remarks
Dublin - Ireland's Environment Minister John Gormley stands over comments on Tibet he made at his party conference which provoked the Chinese ambassador to Ireland to walk out of the conference, reports said Monday.
On Saturday Green Party leader Gormley in his keynote speech to his party's annual convention accused China of abusing human rights in Tibet and called on Beijing to hold talks with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.
The comments caused the ambassador to Ireland, Liu Biwei, to walk out of the conference. Speaking through an interpreter, the ambassador told reporters that Gormley's words were 'not acceptable and I lodge my strong protests. So I must leave to show my strong protests.'
Gormley told the Irish Independent on Monday that he would not be apologising for the remarks.
Ireland's Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern described the incident as 'overblown' and said he didn't think it would damage trade between Ireland and China, which is valued at 5.5 billion euros (8.7 billion dollars) per year.
Ahern said the problem may have been that Gormley referred to Tibet as a 'country,' in what the foreign minister said was a 'slip of the tongue.' He said Gormley's call for dialogue reflects Irish government policy.
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