Tánaiste Simon Coveney visits Warsaw for meeting with Polish Foreign Minister
Press release
03 October 2018
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, T.D. is today, 3 October, visiting Warsaw, Poland, where he will meet with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and Secretary of State for European Affairs, Konrad Szymanski.
This visit presents an opportunity to strengthen the bilateral political relationship between Ireland and Poland, a country with which we have strong and growing economic and people-to-people links. Ireland’s positions on a wide range of EU issues will also be discussed, including the on-going Brexit negotiations, the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations for 2021-27, the Future of Europe and the Rule of Law.
Ireland and Poland both view finalising the Withdrawal Agreement as a priority and wish to see the strongest possible relationship between the EU and UK post-Brexit. This must be done in a way that fully respects the integrity of the Single Market and the four freedoms on which it is based.
Poland is the sixth largest EU Member State and its eighth largest economy. In recent years it has played an increasingly influential role within the EU, and its weight is likely to increase following Brexit. Bilateral trade is growing strongly: total trade for 2017 was worth circa €3.4bn and is growing by 10-15% annually, with the balance at 2:1 in Ireland’s favour. The vibrant Polish community in Ireland totals approximately 130,000 people. There are also over fifty flights each week from Ireland to eleven Polish cities.
Speaking in advance of the visit, the Tánaiste said: “I look forward to discussing the bilateral relationship between Ireland and Poland with my counterpart, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz. Poland is a country with which we have strong and growing economic and people-to-people links. I will take the opportunity on this visit to discuss key issues of mutual interest, including the Brexit negotiations, the EU Financial Framework, the Future of Europe and the Rule of Law”
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