(L-R): Deputy PM Xavier Bettel, Minister Thomas Byrne; Credit: MAE

On Friday 21 February 2025, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, had a bilateral meeting with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence of Ireland.

According to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the meeting provided an opportunity to review bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Ireland; Minister Bettel also took the opportunity to congratulate Thomas Byrne on his recent election and appointment as Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence.

On European issues, the ministers discussed priorities for the EU's next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and preparations for the next Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, scheduled for the second half of 2026. They also discussed the European response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as the prospect of US tariffs and their potential impact on the single market.