Pauline Tully
Question:85. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Taoiseach the bilateral meetings he had during his recent visit to the United States. [45281/23]
View answerTuesday, 17 October 2023
Questions (85)
Written answers
I visited the US on 17-23 September, primarily to attend the UN General Assembly High Level week. During this week, I took the opportunity to have a number of bilateral meetings.
I met with UN Secretary General António Guterres who thanked Ireland for its unswerving support for the UN. We discussed the Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals and we agreed the urgent need for the global community to redouble efforts to achieve the Goals by 2030. The Secretary General and I also discussed Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, including Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea grain initiative which the Secretary General had helped to put in place. We also agreed the importance of holding those responsible for war crimes to account. The Secretary General also spoke about the UN Summit on the Future to be held next year, and I agreed with him on the need for reform to make the UN, including the Security Council, fit for purpose for today’s changed world. I offered Ireland’s support and assistance in advancing this work. I took the opportunity to recall the tragic loss of Private Sean Rooney and the importance to his family and colleagues of establishing the full facts of the case.
I also met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu whom I re-assured of Ireland’s continued backing for Moldova’s journey towards EU Membership. I had brief bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Qatar, with whom Ireland co-facilitated the Political Declaration for the Summit on the SDG, and with the Prime Minister of Samoa.
I had the opportunity for a short conversation with President Biden at the reception he hosted, together with First Lady, Dr Jill Biden, for Leaders attending United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. I updated him on developments in relation to Northern Ireland, including recent British legislation on legacy cases, setting out our deep concerns on its implications; and on efforts to restore the institutions under the Good Friday Agreement. I thanked him for his continuing interest in the peace process, including his appointment of Joe Kennedy III as Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland. As on previous occasions when we have met, the President was well-informed and offered his assistance, and that of his Administration, whenever it would be helpful.
While in the US, I took the opportunity to travel briefly to Florida where I formally opened Ireland’s new Consulate General in Miami and met a number of local political leaders, including the State Secretary of the State of Florida, the Mayor of Miami-Dade county, the Chair of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and the Mayor of Miami.