(L-R) Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ireland; Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs;
Credit: MAEE
On Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 September 2022, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, paid a working visit to Ireland and officially inaugurated a resident Luxembourg Embassy in Dublin.
In Dublin, Minister Asselborn had meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, as well as with the Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne. The two working meetings were an opportunity to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as on the main current European and international topics, such as the war in Ukraine, the enlargement of the European Union (EU), the energy crisis and the rule of law.
The discussions thus made it possible to reconfirm the broad convergence of views between Luxembourg and Ireland on a large number of European and international issues, whether it be the importance of multilateralism, respect for the rule of law within the EU, the implementation of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, or even the peace process in the Middle East. Issues related to Brexit and the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland were also discussed.
The visit to Dublin was also an opportunity for Minister Asselborn to mark, during a ceremony in the presence of the Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, the establishment of an embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Dublin. Indeed, Ireland has long been a reliable European partner that shares common values with Luxembourg in terms of the rule of law, human rights, European integration and multilateralism. Similarly, Luxembourg and Ireland maintain strong bilateral relations. The opening of a resident embassy in Dublin will thus contribute to strengthening the ties between the two countries and their respective populations, by exploring the opportunities for cooperation in the economic, commercial, financial, academic and cultural fields.
Finally, Minister Asselborn took the opportunity of his trip to visit the port of Dublin and learn more about the activities of CLdN, a Luxembourg company active in the field of maritime transport and logistics.
