Minister McEntee attends British-Irish Council Summit in Wales

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, today (05 December) attended the 44th Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Wales. The Summit was an opportunity for leaders to discuss political and international developments since the British-Irish Council last met in Northern Ireland in June 2025. There was also a focus on the role of creative industries across the Islands. 

Established under Strand Three of the Good Friday Agreement, the British-Irish Council (BIC) provides an important forum for exchange on issues of mutual concern for the eight member administrations from across the UK and Ireland.  

In the margins of the Summit the Minister held a number of bilateral meetings with other leaders, including with Welsh First Minister, Eluned Morgan;  Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn; Scottish First Minister, John Swinney; Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O'Neill; and deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly.

Speaking after the Summit, Minister McEntee said: “I was pleased to attend the BIC Summit in Wales, my first as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The British-Irish Council is an important forum through which we can deepen connections and cooperation between our administrations at a political and official level. BIC Summits are a key opportunity in the calendar in our joint work towards realising the full potential of the relationships across these islands.”