Taoiseach Simon Harris attending European Council
- Published on: 17 October 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Taoiseach attending European Council where situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and migration will be top of the agenda
Taoiseach Simon Harris is in Brussels today (Thursday) for a meeting of the European Council. The situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and migration will be discussed.
Other items include Competitiveness, Georgia, Moldova, Sudan, Venezuela, preparation for COP 29 and hybrid threats.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Taoiseach said:
“I look forward to joining my fellow EU leaders to discuss a number of pressing issues, most importantly the escalating situation in the Middle East as well as Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
"The situation in the Middle East is deeply concerning. The humanitarian impact of the conflict in Gaza and now Lebanon is alarming. The EU must do more. I have repeatedly said that all countries and organisations must use all levers at our disposal to bring about a ceasefire. I will continue my call, together with Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain, for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has only become more pressing since the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in July on Israel's illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
“I will also engage with other EU Member States with troops serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon such as Italy, Spain and France to ensure that our peacekeepers are fully protected, and that the EU sends a strong signal of support for UNIFIL and for the UN more generally. The deliberate targeting by Israel of UNIFIL positions is against international law and cannot be tolerated.
“Following my visit to Kyiv last month, I also look forward to our discussion of Ukraine, which President Zelenskyy will join. Ukraine is looking into a bleak and difficult winter, and it is more important than ever that the EU continues to stand with it in every way we can. This includes a very important decision on providing low cost loans to Ukraine of up to €45 billion guaranteed by the revenues of Russia’s immobilised assets.
“We will also discuss migration. We need a secure and fair Europe with a migration system that recognises the benefits that legal migration brings to our societies and our economies, while also being equipped to deal with irregular migration, to combat the people-traffickers who put the lives of desperate people at risk, to secure our borders and to work with international partners to tackle the root causes that drive people from their homes.”
ENDS