Press release
Tánaiste and Minister Harris attend 2023 Ireland-Wales Forum
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, will attend the third annual Ireland-Wales Forum this Thursday and Friday.
This annual Forum bringing together Irish and Welsh Ministers is a cornerstone of the Ireland – Wales relationship, set out in the 2021 Shared Statement and Action Plan. This year’s Forum focusses on renewable energy, skills development and Irish and Welsh language promotion.
The Tánaiste, with First Minister Mark Drakeford MS, will visit a number of sites across north Wales on Friday morning, including Holyhead Port, Morlais Hydrogen Hub and a Welsh-language school with links to Ireland. The visit also provides an opportunity to look at preparations for the entry into force of the new UK import controls from January 2024.
Minister Harris will meet with Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, Lesley Griffiths MS, to discuss strengthened links between Irish and Welsh universities. Minister Harris’s programme also includes visits to the M-SParc science park and the Ty Gwyrddfai decarbonisation hub, with a particular focus on green skills development.
The Tánaiste said:
"As near neighbours, Ireland and Wales have always had a unique relationship, rooted in our shared Celtic heritage. This bond has been further strengthened through the Shared Statement framework. I look forward in North Wales to meeting with Welsh Ministers to build on that level of connection.”
Minister Harris added:
"I’m very pleased to be in Wales for this Forum. The relationship we have with Wales presents us with huge opportunities for the future and I look forward to strengthening our cooperation and collaboration especially in terms of green skills development which will play a huge role in tackling the challenges we have today and those that lie ahead."
The Ireland-Wales Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan 2021-25 was launched in March 2021. It sets a framework for the Ireland-Wales relationship as both countries work to increase cooperation and collaboration across a range of sectors.
A key commitment within the Shared Statement was to inaugurate a new high-level annual Ireland-Wales Forum to engage political, economic and broader stakeholders to build relationships, reflect on ongoing collaboration and consider opportunities for further cooperation.
The inaugural Ireland Wales Forum was held in Wales in 2021, and the second Forum took place in Dublin and Cork in 2022. This year’s Forum will focus on renewable energy, skills development and Irish and Welsh language promotion. A joint communiqué will issue by the Government of Ireland and Welsh Government following the Forum and will be available on the afternoon of 20 October.
The Irish delegation will be led by the Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris. The Welsh delegation will comprise the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford MS, the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething and the Minister for Climate Change Julie James.