Eamon Ryan
Ceist:85. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent meetings with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the African Union. [4131/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 29 January 2019
Ceisteanna (85)
Freagraí scríofa
I attended the 22nd EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, FMM, in Brussels on 21 January, which was an opportunity to build relations with ten countries from South East Asia and to offer support to our shared priority of elevating the relationship between our two regional blocs. While at the FMM, I participated in both the retreat and plenary sessions, where countries emphasised their shared support for the rules-based international order and the defence of multilateralism. Ireland’s national statement called for our two regional groups to work collectively to ensure a sustainable, equitable and peaceful future for our global community of neighbours.
They key outcome of the FMM, as noted in the Joint Statement which issued afterwards, was an agreement in principle to elevate EU-ASEAN relations to that of a strategic partnership, subject to details and timing being worked out.
Subsequent to the FMM, I attended the opening dinner of the EU-AU Ministerial and my Government colleague, Ciarán Cannon, T.D., attended the plenary session the following day. The Ministerial addressed the progress made since the EU-AU Summit in Abidjan in 2017, in cooperation on peace and security, trade relations and support for the multilateral system. Participants discussed the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding on Peace, Security and Governance and the EU proposal for an Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and Investment. They renewed their commitment to hold regular Ministerial meetings in the lead up to the next EU-AU Summit in 2020, and issued a Joint Communiqué reaffirming their commitment to work together to strengthen the relationship between our two continents.
Ireland’s intervention highlighted the need for cooperation through all phases of the conflict cycle and, in particular, the need to concentrate on mediation and conflict prevention. It drew on our experience of peacebuilding and offered our support to those who wished to learn from our experience.
Question No. 86 answered with Question No. 63.