The Minister for Foreign Affiars, Mr Brian Cowen, has called on all party’s to increase their efforts to reach a settlement in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
The call follows the death of three European Union monitors were found dead in Macedonia today after a mine blew their vehicle into a ravine during the fragile ceasefire.
"I call upon all parties in FYROM to redouble their efforts to reach a stable political settlement so that peace and normality can be restored to the lives of the people of Macedonia," Mr Cowen said.
"I have asked the Head of the EUMM, Ambassador Antoin MacUnfraidh, to convey my deepest sympathy to the families of those killed"
Since the beginning of the violence in FYROM earlier this year, monitors have been palyed an important role in the international response to this crisis as with others in the region in the past.
The Mission is currently tasked with overseeing the cease-fire between the ethnic Albanian extremists and the Macedonian Government.
NATO troops were helping in an operation to recover their vehicle from the bottom of a ravine in rough terrain, he added.
The Norwegian and Slovakian monitors, who were with a translator from Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority, went missing yesterday while on a routine monitoring mission in the hills near the predominantly Albanian town of Tetovo.
The monitors vehicle was last seen heading out of Macedonian government-controlled territory towards a mountainous area that is in the hands of ethnic Albanian guerrillas who have staged a five-month-long revolt in the small Balkan state.
A blast was heard around 3.30 p.m (1.30 p.m. Irish time) yesterday from the direction in which the team had travelled.
Additional reporting Reuters