Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD will attend informal meetings of EU Ministers for Defence and Ministers for Foreign Affairs hosted by Spain in Toledo, in their capacity as the current Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
EU Defence Ministers will meet on 29-30 August, while discussions between Ministers for Foreign Affairs will take place on 30-31 August. Both high-level meetings will provide an important opportunity for coordination of the EU’s response to the latest developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in Niger.
Ukrainian Minister for Defence, Oleksii Reznikov is expected to brief EU Defence Ministers on recent developments in Ukraine during the Informal Defence Ministerial. Representatives of the UN and NATO are also scheduled to attend. The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of both Ukraine and Niger will also join their EU counterparts for their discussions.
The ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine is likely to dominate discussions at both meetings. Speaking ahead of those discussions, the Tánaiste said: “Ukraine continues to face enormous challenges in the face of Russian aggression. The EU has repeatedly sent strong messages of our continuing determination and abiding commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and I look forward to these discussions, as they offer us an important opportunity to practically coordinate and implement the many different initiatives and assistance measures we are taking collectively.
We must remain resolute in our commitment to stand with Ukraine and these discussions provide us with an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to Ukraine’s freedom and democracy.”
Commenting ahead of discussions on Niger, the Tánaiste said: “The situation in Niger is extremely grave and the EU has made clear its firm condemnation of the coup in Niger. Discussions over the next few days will allow us the opportunity to assess how the EU can be most effective in ensuring a return to democratic government, and support regional leaders in their efforts. The EU will continue to provide humanitarian aid and to stand alongside the people of Niger, in particular in its commitment to their human rights.”
