Tánaiste attends EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Middle East security

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, was in Brussels today to attend a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. They discussed the situation in Afghanistan, regional security in the Gulf and Iran, and met with the Sudanese Prime Minister, Dr Abdalla Hamdok over lunch.

Speaking from Brussels, the Tánaiste said:

“Today was an extremely valuable opportunity for my EU counterparts and I to hear directly from the Prime Minister of Sudan as he leads his country into a new and hopefully more positive chapter in its history. A stable, prosperous and inclusive Sudan is of pressing interest to all of us, and Ireland will actively support the civilian-led political transition in Sudan.

“EU Foreign Ministers also discussed Iran’s most recent nuclear-related developments, and regional security issues in the wider Gulf. The JCPOA agreement is important for global security and the EU wants to make it work. We reiterate our position that all remaining parties to the agreement should continue its implementation in full, and we urge Iran to return to the path of full compliance without delay.

“Finally, we discussed the situation in Afghanistan following the Presidential elections in September. Ireland welcomes the fact that September’s Presidential elections were held on time, though we regret that threats of large scale violence likely impacted on the low voter turnout in many areas. We reaffirmed our commitment to supporting a peace process that is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.”

ENDS