Taoiseach attending European Political Community and Informal European Council

• Taoiseach to join fellow leaders from across Europe for meeting of European Political Community and for an informal meeting of the European Council to discuss European security and competitiveness

Taoiseach Simon Harris is in Budapest today (Thursday) for a meeting of the European Political Community which gathers leaders of the wider European neighbourhood twice a year to consider issues which are of interest to them all. At Thursday's meeting, the Taoiseach will participate in a roundtable discussion on economic security.

On Thursday evening he will attend a working dinner of the European Council which will take stock of the outcome of the US elections, as well as other foreign policy issues, including Georgia and the situation in the Middle East.

The European Council will also meet on Friday morning to focus on the economic competitiveness challenges facing Europe. Former Prime Minister of Italy and ex-President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, will brief the meeting on his recent report The Future of European Competitiveness and his recommendations for urgent action.

Speaking ahead of the meetings, the Taoiseach said:

"I look forward to joining my fellow leaders from across Europe at the European Political Community. It is an important forum to discuss the security and other challenges faced by the wider European Continent, including the war in Ukraine where we are approaching the awful milestone of 1,000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion.

"I will join a roundtable on economic security, where I will set out my view that we cannot disconnect economic security from our wider commitment to the multilateral system and the international rules base order as well as our shared values, including respect for the rule of law. Ensuring our connectivity, building our energy infrastructure and independence, investing in our competitiveness, and pursuing an open and fair trade policy are important ways to underpin our collective security.

"I also look forward to a first collective discussion of the outcome of the US elections with my European Council counterparts. Donald Trump has emerged as the clear winner and it will be important for us to work with him and his Administration when it takes office to ensure that the EU-US relationship remains strong, balanced and of mutual benefit. The US is an indispensable global partner, including on the many global challenges the world faces, not least climate change. Meeting those challenges requires real leadership, including from the US.

"I will also take the opportunity to highlight my profound concern about the continuing catastrophe in the Middle East, especially the new legislation adopted in Israel that will prevent UNRWA carrying out its vital and life-saving work. There is no alternative to UNRWA. Preventing it from fulfilling its UN-given mandate will only heap more misery and hardship on the Palestinian people and therefore must be condemned."

ENDS