Ireland – Meeting between Jean-Yves Le Drian and Clément Beaune with Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Simon Coveney (3 December 2020)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will be meeting today with Simon Coveney, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defense. Their meeting is part of a regular dialogue between France and Ireland.

Negotiations on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union will be a central topic of discussion. The two ministers will reexamine the issue of fishing and will underscore the need to protect our fishermen’s interests.

The international agenda, on which our two countries largely see eye to eye, will also be a topic of discussion, as Ireland prepares to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two years, beginning in 2021. In particular, the two ministers will discuss Iran and the situation in the Sahel. Ireland cooperates actively in Africa, and our two countries both believe in a strong partnership between the EU and the African continent in order to meet global challenges. Issues relating to European security, and especially the fight against terrorism, will also be addressed.

The meeting with Clément Beaune will deal with the European agenda, and especially the European recovery plan, coordination on the pandemic and digital policy, as well as our two countries’ bilateral relationship.