Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, will visit Berlin, Germany on 17-19 January 2024. During the visit, he will meet with German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and German Federal Minister of State for Europe and Climate, Dr Anna Lührmann, and deliver the key note address, ‘Navigating Europe: Ireland’s Voice in Shaping the Future of the EU, at the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School in Berlin.
The meeting between the Tánaiste and Foreign Minister Baerbock, which will take place on Thursday, will provide an opportunity to discuss both bilateral and current EU issues, as well as developments in the Middle East and matters in relation to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. At the German Parliament, the Tánaiste will address members of the Bundestag Committee on European Union Affairs.
During the visit, the Tánaiste will also formally launch Zeitgeist Irland 24 at a gala event in the Metropol, Berlin. Zeitgeist Irland is a season of Irish arts and culture which will take place across Germany throughout 2024.
The opening concert will feature a diverse range of performers including Ye Vagabonds, Kate Ellis, Jennifer Walshe, Sheena McGrandles, Dean Power, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Tura, and Adam Mohamed. Minister of State Anna Lührmann, who visited Dublin 11 – 12 January 2024 and held a meeting with Minister for EU Affairs Peter Burke TD, will be among the guests of honour at the launch. The concert is the first of a year-long programme of events across Germany covering the full spectrum of artistic disciplines.
Zeitgeist Irland is a partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Culture Ireland, is supported by Tourism Ireland, and represents a strategic joint investment of more than €2.5 million to deepen Ireland’s cultural engagement with Germany as a key partner in Europe.