The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will travel to a series of EU capitals this week. to discuss the Brexit negotiations, and other important EU issues, including migration and economic matters, with his counterparts there.
He visited Zagreb where he had meetings with President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the Speaker of the Parliament, Gordan Jandrokovic.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.
On Tuesday 24 July, he travelled to Bucharest where he had meetings with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister, Viorica Dãncilã and President of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea.
An Taoiseach with Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte
The Taoiseach met with the new Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte in Rome on 26 July.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, with Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, Curators of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, FREESPACE
Photo: Andrea Avezzù Courtesy: La Biennale di Venezia
He also used the opportunity to develop our bilateral trade and cultural relations with all three countries, and visited the 2018 Venice Biennale which has been curated this year by Irish architects, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.
Speaking before his departure, the Taoiseach said:
I look forward to these meetings, which are part of my ongoing engagement with EU counterparts on Brexit and other crucial EU issues. Italy, Romania and Croatia are important partners in the EU, and this visit provides an opportunity to exchange views with political leaders there, including in the context of Romania's upcoming Presidency of the EU. I will thank my interlocutors for their strong support and solidarity for Ireland in relation to Brexit, and for the continuing unity among the EU 27, particularly on the need to ensure that a legally operable backstop is included in the Withdrawal Agreement.
We will exchange views on a number of other matters of significance, including the complex and often divisive issue of migration, as well as the future EU budget and a range of economic matters.
I also look forward to visiting the 2018 Venice Biennale which, for the first time ever, has been curated by Irish architects - Yvonne Farrell and Shelly McNamara of Grafton Architects. I am delighted to support this great achievement and to view the outcome of their creativity, as well as other work on display by Irish architects and designers.