From:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, is today (13 July) in Brussels to attend a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. This is the first meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) under Ireland’s EU Presidency.

Ministers will discuss a wide range of important issues, including Russian aggression against Ukraine; the situation in the Middle East; and the Black Sea. Ministers will also have an exchange with the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during the third EU-GCC High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation. Prior to the FAC, Minister McEntee will co-host an event with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, which will focus on Ukrainian detainees in the occupied territories in Ukraine. The Minister will also attend a meeting of the Palestine Donor Group following the FAC.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister McEntee said: “I look forward to working closely with High Representative Kallas and our EU partners to secure progress across all the priorities we have set for the Council over the next six months.

“Ensuring continued support for Ukraine will be central to our work for the next six months. We were honoured to host President Zelenskyy in Dublin on the first day of our EU Presidency. It was also important that we begin our term with an event that highlights a key issue for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. During my visit to Ukraine in March, I saw first-hand the terrible crimes inflicted upon innocent civilians by Russian forces at Bucha.

“I am delighted that we will be joined in person by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha for this FAC. I look forward to an update from him on latest developments. It is essential that we maintain our support for Ukraine and keep pressure on Russia. As we have seen with Russia’s continued indiscriminate missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, Moscow continues to show no interest in peace. It is clear that our sanctions are having an impact. I have been clear in saying that further sanctions against Russia are a major foreign policy priority for the Irish Presidency. Driving Ukraine’s accession path forward is also a major item and I welcome the progress with opening Cluster One of the accession negotiations with Ukraine and also with Moldova.’’

Commenting further on the agenda, Minister McEntee said: “‘This Council will have a significant focus on the conflicts in the Middle East. We will discuss the situation in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, which I remain intensely focused on addressing during our Presidency, particularly following bilateral engagements with my counterparts in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE last week.

“The recent exchange of fire between Iran and the US risks undermining the agreement on a ceasefire and of the ongoing talks required to address the issues that remain in the region. We will meet with our Gulf counterparts to discuss how the European Union can assist efforts to deescalate the situation which, as we all know, has a direct financial impact on European citizens. Iran’s latest attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan are unacceptable, as are its attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Freedom of navigation must be upheld, in accordance with international law. As I emphasised during my recent visit to the Gulf, only the hard work of dialogue and diplomacy will bring lasting stability and security to the region.

Minister McEntee continued: “We will also discuss the catastrophic situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Conditions continue to deteriorate. With my counterparts on the Council, I will seek to build consensus around a position that addresses the consistent violations of human rights and international law by the current Israeli government, which undermine the viability of the two-State solution. This will include trying to reach an agreement at the EU level to address trade with illegal settlements. The two-state Solution is the only way to secure lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. While seeking to reach an agreement at the EU level, we continue to move forward at the national level by progressing the Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026. The Irish Government is taking action in response to the situation in Palestine.”

Following the FAC, the Minister will attend the second meeting of the Palestine Donor Group. This meeting will be co-chaired by the European Commission and the Palestinian Authority and will focus on the fiscal stability of the Palestinian Authority and the economic recovery of the West bank, the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda, as well as the latest developments in Gaza.

Speaking ahead of the Palestine Donor Group meeting Minister McEntee stated: “Ireland is a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian Authority, both politically and financially. The Palestinian Authority is facing significant hurdles, and as a partner, the European Union must continue to support the progress required to improve governance, economic resilience, and the provision of services for the Palestinian people. The Palestine Donor Group is an important institution through which the EU can meaningfully support the Authority’s efforts to improve the lives of Palestinians.”