H.E. Ms Deike Potzel:

I will start by picking up on Senator Chambers's question on migration. For a number of reasons, including the refugee crisis we faced in 2015, that is a major topic for us. We need to stand together in solidarity to alleviate the burden on the front-line countries and we need to find a sustainable European refugee and migration policy. A restart is needed and that restart must be based on solidarity and on a shared responsibility, both in the internal and external dimensions. Internally, we are aiming for a common European asylum system, whichensures responsibility sharing and efficiency; curbs secondary migration; lives up to humanitarian standards and fundamental European values; and as I said, truly alleviates the burden on the front-line member states. We want to progress on those issues.

The debate has started between the member states based on the Commission proposal for a new pact on migration and asylum, and we feel that it is a very good basis. As the committee will know, it is based on strengthening the externality mentioned, effective protection of the external borders and a fair sharing of the burden through a system of very effective solidarity. As for the externality mentioned, we feel that European migration policy should strengthen co-operation and equal partnership with countries of origin and transit. We need to work even more closely with them and that it is part of the European Commission's proposal. It is a topic that we feel strongly about and we really hope we can push this process forward because it is a contentious issue that we need to overcome in unity and solidarity with one another. That is very important to us.

On the future of Europe, like many member states, we believe that European citizens, very rightly, want to have a more vocal say. We need to embrace that willingness to talk about the issues that are important to all of us and to our citizens. Hopefully, we will see the start of this soon. Most of the organisational issues, as I understand, have been cleared, although there is still an issue with the various chairpersons. Other than that, many of the basic factors have been settled and we would like to go ahead with it.

As for concrete measures in Germany, I would like to revert to the committee in writing because there are a number of issues. We have some experience with civil society dialogue formats. We have been, and remain, very impressed with the Irish model of the citizens' assembly, so that is definitely something we will incorporate in our ideas. We also have a cultural programme attached to our Presidency, known as Earth Speaker, which is meant to bring in young people's ideas about the future of Europe. It is a cultural, online format where young people can express what they want from a future Europe. It is apparently very successful. I hope many young Irish girls and boys will join in and bring their views to the table. It is a first, very important step to bring in young people.

On Europe's place in the world, I am not quite sure I completely got what the Senator was aiming at . We are very happy that we have now agreed with our European partners on the sanctions that were mentioned and that Lukashenko is now on the list. We will follow the situation very closely and react accordingly to make very clear that we have a united stance on those issues. In any event, the most important thing is that we work on a joint position and that there will not be deviation among member states . My Portuguese colleague, H.E. Mr. de Almeida e Sousa , mentioned a couple of other issues.

China, of course, is very high on the agenda and we want to broaden the consensus on a more united stance towards it too. On 14 September, President Michel, the President of the Commission, Ms von der Leyen, and our Chancellor, spoke to President Xi in an informal video conference. We are hoping for progress on the investment agreement side and we hope it will be possible for the EU-China leaders' meeting to take place in 2021.

The European Council, on 16 November, will again talk about EU-China relations, which will be an important occasion to again show that unified view. More closely, at the moment we are very worried about the situation in the eastern Mediterranean. Our foreign Minister was in Cyprus and Greece yesterday. We are trying to keep a dialogue going because we feel it is of absolute importance to achieve de-escalation. It is a very worrying situation that we hope to solve rapidly.

Another issue close to our hearts, and regionally close, is that we are seeking to finalise negotiation frameworks and hold a first succession conference with, hopefully, North Macedonia and, if the necessary conditions are fulfilled, also with Albania. That is something we would like to see, and while I am not going to talk about Africa again, I would be very happy to go into more detail on that matter.

I turn to the view on Brexit in Germany and I am sure H.E. Mr. de Almeida e Sousa will talk about the view in Portugal. We have said from the start, and it is a commonly shared feeling, that we greatly regret that the British are leaving. We feel that very deeply and whole-heartedly. We are losing a good friend, an extremely important political partner and an economic partner. There is no doubt about that. Obviously, Ireland’s economic relations with the UK are closer than ours but there is no doubt it is a very important economic partner for us . That is why we need and want a close agreement and partnership with the UK. We do not want to lose it as a friend; we want to work closely with it on political issues and do not want to lose it as an economic partner. As we have said, however, we need to prepare for all outcomes and, unfortunately, that seems to be becoming even more urgent.

I assure the committee that people in Germany know about the Irish issue. There is a great deal of information about it and, whenever anything to do with it happens, one can be sure it will be in the main newspapers. It is a number one topic in the newspapers' online forums. The UK Internal Market Bill, which was mentioned earlier, was front-page news because people realise how important it is. We have said time and again that it would be very detrimental to bilateral trust and that we hope the UK will take the Bill off the table or adjust it such that it will not violate the withdrawal agreement nor break international law. The matter is talked about a great deal back home and it is very topical in all the news there. It has not been forgotten, although it comes with the notion that we have to look to the future and to move on. We have to be prepared and I think we have done a good job of preparing ourselves for, as we always say, all possible outcomes.