Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney TD, on the attempted assassination of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

"I strongly condemn the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This attempted assassination of a leading political figure in a European country is abhorrent to all those who value the fundamental principles of democracy and respect for human rights as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The confirmation by the German authorities of the use of a nerve agent belonging to the “Novichok” family is deeply troubling. Any use of chemical weapons is a breach of international law and completely unacceptable. We will not be silent in the face of such an incident.

"I fully support the call by the EU’s High Representative, Josep Borrell for Russia to investigate this case thoroughly, in an open and transparent manner. It is essential that those responsible are held to account.

"Ireland will work closely with our EU partners to coordinate our response to this incident.