Tánaiste to brief Foreign Affairs Committee on Foreign Affairs Council engagement

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, will update the Committee on recent Foreign Affairs Council meetings.

The EU 28 Ministers met earlier this week to discuss a wide range of issues relating to European foreign affairs policy. Some of the topics likely to be discussed tomorrow include the Middle East Peace Process and Ireland’s strong commitment to a negotiated two-State solution; the recent US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and how best to support the deal without US engagement and the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Chair, Brendan Smith TD said today, “Recent events along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel highlight the precariousness of peace in the Middle East. The Committee was very concerned at the number of deaths of unarmed protesters in Gaza and looks forward to hearing how the EU proposes to engage with all parties in the region with a view to establishing the peace that so many ordinary civilians on both sides so deeply crave.”

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