merrion street

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Simon Coveney, met today with the Foreign Minister of Albania, Mr Ditmir Bushati. This was the first bilateral meeting between the two Ministers and the discussion touched on a range of issues, including Albania’s progress in the EU accession process.

Speaking after the meeting, the Tánaiste said:

I was delighted to welcome Minister Bushati to Dublin today. We already enjoy a warm bilateral relationship with Albania, and we discussed how we could deepen our relationship in the context of Albania’s status as a candidate country for membership of the European Union.

 

Ireland is a strong supporter of Albania’s accession process to the EU and today was an important opportunity to hear from Minister Bushati about Albania’s plans. It is important that the standards required to meet the EU criteria are met in full before any country joins the Union. We believe that the Union should welcome countries which are ready to take on the responsibilities of membership.

 

I updated Minister Bushati on recent developments on Brexit, including on our commitment to protecting the Northern Ireland peace process and minimising the impact on trade and the economy.