merrion street

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is attending an EU Heads of Government Informal Summit today, 3 February, in Valletta, Malta.

At the Summit, the Taoiseach will highlight the many political, economic and social achievements of the EU over the past sixty years and how our core values are central to our continued peace and prosperity. He will call for a balanced approach to the many challenges facing us, and will stress the importance of making further progress on the economic agenda - jobs, growth, investment, Single Market, Digital Single Market - which make a real difference to the lives of our citizens.

He will meet bilaterally with a number of his counterparts in the margins of the meeting to discuss a range of important EU issues. As always, he will use the opportunity to highlight and explain Ireland's particular concerns arising from Brexit.

The Taoiseach will exchange views with his EU counterparts on migration into the EU, particularly along the Central Mediterranean route, from North Africa. Agreeing actions to prevent people smuggling, and developing our external migration policy, in accordance with international law and human rights principles, is a priority for the European Union. Leaders of the 27 EU Member States will meet in the afternoon where discussions will focus on the renewal and future of the EU.