merrion street

Taoiseach Enda Kenny met with French President Francois Hollande in Government Buildings today.

The Taoiseach reiterated the sympathy and solidarity of the Irish people with France in the wake of the horrendous attack in Nice on 14 July.  President Hollande briefed the Taoiseach on the current security situation and on the French Government’s response.

The two leaders agreed on the urgent need to accelerate ongoing work on a range of EU counter-terrorism and security actions, and to promote the closest and most effective cooperation between police and security services. They also agreed that the surest way of asserting and protecting Europe’s fundamental values is to refuse to bow to terrorism and its assault on those values.

The consequences of the UK referendum on its membership of the European Union was the other dominant focus of the discussions. The President and the Taoiseach reiterated their commitment to the principles set out by the twenty-seven Heads of State or Government on 29 June. In particular, they looked forward to the notification as soon as possible by the new British Government of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the Union, which will permit orderly negotiations to begin. 

They reaffirmed their shared commitment to the European Union as the essential framework for Europe’s peace, prosperity and security. They also agreed, however, that it is essential to renew the confidence of citizens in the European project.

The leaders also exchanged views on the economic situation, noting the progress made in both countries and in the euro area generally, but also the risks ahead, including as a result of the UK referendum. They also discussed the implementation of the COP21 Agreement, and the future work needed to honour the EU’s climate change and energy commitments. 

Finally, the President and the Taoiseach noted the excellent state of relations between the two countries, based on an enduring friendship and affinity going back many centuries, as demonstrated most recently at the hugely successful UEFA Euro 2016 championships.

Watch the press conference here:

Read the full joint statement here.