Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
45. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he held bilaterals when he attended the EU meeting on 25 June 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28656/18]
View answerI had a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 June with the new Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell. I congratulated him on his recent appointment and wished him well in his new role.
We discussed Brexit and I updated him on the progress that has been made to date on Irish issues and on the UK Prime Minister’s December and March commitments in this regard. Minister Borrell confirmed that Ireland had Spain’s full support.
In the context of Brexit, we also discussed the issue of Gibraltar, which is primarily being handled bilaterally between Spain and the UK.
In conclusion, I welcomed Spain’s humane response to the migrants aboard the Aquarius and referred to the involvement of the Irish navy in search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.
I also held a bilateral meeting with the new Italian Foreign Minister, Enzo Moavero Milanesi. The discussion focused mostly on migration, and in that context the EU's Africa policy, and briefly on Brexit.
I acknowledged the serious challenges faced by Italy on migration, underlining Ireland's solidarity with Italy and pointing to our continued commitment to operation Sophia through the deployment of a naval vessel. I agreed that Italy cannot be expected to deal with the migration crisis single handedly and greater EU solidarity is needed.
I underlined our ambition to strengthen the EU's policy on Africa and indicated a willingness to work closely with Italy on this.
On Brexit, I thanked Italy for their support and solidarity and hoped that the new Italian government will be as strong in this support as compared to the previous government. The Minister, referring to his visits to Northern Ireland in the past and more recently and witnessing himself the invisible border, assured me that Ireland has Italy's full support on this.
