Tánaiste addresses G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in South Africa

The Tánaiste Simon Harris today addressed G20 Foreign Ministers in Johannesburg, reiterating Ireland’s commitment to ensuring international law is at the heart of resolving conflicts globally.

The Tánaiste attended today’s opening session, which was addressed by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, and spoke at the Foreign Ministers’ session focusing on the global geopolitical situation.

On arrival at the G20, he met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Foreign Ministers of EU countries represented at the G20. He also held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Haran Fidan, and Minister Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh of the UAE.

The Tánaiste addressed the G20 Foreign Ministers, saying it was imperative for countries to work together to end conflicts that were fuelling hunger, poverty and displacement globally.

Speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade said:

“Ireland continues to condemn Russia’s illegal war and its ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population. We need to see a comprehensive, just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence and the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

“Ukraine must be central to any process, and must determine the timing and terms of any agreement. Ireland and its EU partners continue to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine.”

The Tánaiste also met briefly with the President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa on the margins of the meeting and invited him to visit Ireland in the near future.

Speaking about the importance of the G20, he said:

“It is welcome that this gathering meets in Africa for the first time, a dynamic continent whose voice must carry greater weight. South Africa takes on the G20 Presidency at a challenging time. While the multilateral system is not perfect, international cooperation is essential if we are to address the many global challenges before us.

“The G20 has an important contribution to make. As a small country, we know the importance of multilateralism. It is at the heart of Ireland’s foreign policy. These values will guide our active engagement in the work of the G20 over the coming year.”

Addressing developments in Israel earlier on Thursday, the Tánaiste said:

“There could not have been anybody who saw the pictures today of the caskets of young children, who had been taken hostage by Hamas, being released, nobody could have seen those images and not have been impacted.

"I've been impacted myself as a human being and as a father to see those images on our TV screens, and it is a really stark reminder of the brutality of the horrific, despicable, Hamas terrorist attack on the people of Israel on October 7 and of course it's a reminder as to why we must see the ceasefire hold.

"We must see peace brought to the Middle East and we must make sure that everything that can humanly be done to get all hostages released, any remains returned to families, but also crucially to make sure that never ever can we go back to a scenario where either terrorism from Hamas is tolerated or indeed horrific attacks on the civilians in Gaza. Making sure that ceasefire holds will continue to be an ongoing foreign policy priority for our country."

This evening, the Tánaiste will attend an official dinner hosted by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Ozzy Lamola.

On Friday, the Tánaiste will deliver Ireland’s input at a Foreign Ministers meeting to discuss G20 priorities, including global trade, international economic stability and sustainable development. The theme of South Africa’s Presidency is Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.

The Tánaiste will also take part in a number of bilateral meetings with G20 Foreign Ministers.