Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:24. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 29 and 30 June 2023. [32453/23]
View answerTuesday, 11 July 2023
Questions (24)
Written answers
I attended the meeting of the European Council on 29/30 June in Brussels.
We discussed Ukraine, economic issues, security and defence, migration, and external relations, including China.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke via video conference, updating us on the situation on the ground. We reaffirmed our enduring solidarity with Ukraine, acknowledged Ukraine’s commitment to EU accession, discussed future security commitments to Ukraine, welcomed progress on measures to ensure Russian accountability, took stock of work exploring the use of immobilised Russian assets, welcomed the adoption of the 11th sanctions package, and reviewed efforts to further weaken Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Leaders also discussed the current economic situation, including economic security; migration, including the need for a comprehensive approach; security and defence, including progress on the “Strategic Compass”; and relations with China and the need to reduce dependencies in our supply chains, as well as human rights concerns.
Ahead of our meeting, we met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and discussed EU-NATO cooperation. We also considered a new partnership package with Tunisia and the EU perspective of the Western Balkans. We called for an immediate de-escalation of the situation in Kosovo; reaffirmed our commitment to a settlement of the situation in Cyprus; and looked ahead to the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit which I will attend in Brussels on 17/18 July.
Questions Nos. 25 to 44, inclusive, resubmitted.