merrion street

The Tánaiste will attend an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich), hosted by the Finnish Presidency in Helsinki on 29 and 30 August.  Speaking before the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the Tánaiste said:

This meeting is an important opportunity for EU Foreign Ministers to hold informal discussions on how the European Union can best engage with the serious foreign policy challenges facing us. I look forward to discussing a number of topics including Hybrid Threats, the Middle East and the Arctic as well as regional cooperation with Western Balkan partner countries.. This meetingis an important opportunity to take stock of global developments and plan for the months ahead.

On Sunday 1^st September, the Tánaiste  will represent Ireland at ceremonies in Warsaw to mark the 80^th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War Speaking ahead of the visit to Warsaw, the Tánaiste said:

I look forward to representing Ireland at ceremonies in Warsaw to mark the 80^th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, along with representatives from EU, NATO and Eastern Partnership countries. I will also meet with Polish Foreign Minister, Jacek Czaputowicz for bilateral consultations including on Brexit, UN and Middle East issues. This visit is an valuable opportunity to further strengthen cooperation with Poland, and forms part of our ongoing engagement with EU partners, including in the context of EU solidarity on Brexit.

This will conclude the Tánaiste’s series of European engagements this week, following constructive visits to Prague on Tuesday and Paris on Wednesday where bilateral discussions with government leaders provided an opportunity to further reiterate the solidarity of the EU27 and commitment to wider cooperation of our countries.