Tánaiste Simon Coveney visits Moscow for meeting with Russian Foreign Minister

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, T.D. is visiting Moscow where he will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr Sergey Lavrov.

Speaking in advance of the visit, the Tánaiste said:

“I look forward to discussing the bilateral relationship between Ireland and Russia with my counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Ireland fully supports the five principles that guide EU relations with Russia. Russia is a country where we wish to further our people to people contacts in particular and continue to support civil society actors. In that regard, I am pleased to announce Ireland is part-funding a Council of Europe project in Russia - Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation from Corrupt Practices at the Municipal Level.

“I will also take the opportunity to discuss key issues of mutual interest, including the Brexit negotiations, the situation in Ukraine and other regional issues, and the Council of Europe.”

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Notes to the Editor

This visit, the first by a Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2011, presents an opportunity to discuss bilateral diplomatic ties between Ireland and the Russian Federation, now in their 46th year.
In addition to bilateral relations, discussions will centre on economic cooperation, including the outcomes of the recent Ireland Russia Joint Economic Commission, and regional and international issues.
The five principles which underscore EU policy are: full implementation of the Minsk agreements; closer ties with Russia's former Soviet neighbours; strengthening EU resilience to Russian threats; selective engagement with Russia on certain issues such as counter-terrorism; and support for people-to-people contacts.
In 2014, the EU imposed targeted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its actions in Ukraine. The duration of the sanctions is linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk peace agreements, brokered by Germany, France and the OSCE in 2014 and 2015. Following an update from Chancellor Merkel and President Macron to the June European Council on the status of implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the Taoiseach and other EU leaders prolonged the sanctions for a further six months until January 2020.

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