Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

I attended the sixth European Union and Latin American Caribbean Summit in Madrid on 18 May. This summit takes place every two years so that the two regions can discuss important and pressing global issues and strengthen their strategic relationship. It brings together Heads of State and Government from 60 countries, representing over 700 million people with a combined trade close to €100 billion annually. I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain and President Fernandez Kirchner of Argentina for successfully co-chairing the summit.

Over the past decade the EU-LAC summits have developed an increasingly closer relationship on both sides of the Atlantic. This progression was reflected in the overall theme of the 2010 summit: Towards a new phase of the bi-regional association: innovation and technology for sustainable development and social inclusion.

In our discussions, we also focused on two of the biggest international issues of our time - the global financial crisis and climate change. During the discussion on the financial crisis, I intervened to stress the need for globally agreed action and re-affirmed Europe's commitment to protecting the euro. I also took the opportunity to outline the steps we have been taking in Ireland to reform the banks, to correct our public finances and improve our competitiveness. The Prime Minister of Haiti alsoaddressed the summit on developments there after the tragic earthquake and how the Haitian people are rebuilding their lives with the help of the international community, including Ireland. During the course of the summit there were many parallel meetings between the European Union and specific Latin American and Caribbean countries or regional groupings, including the Andean and Central Americas countries.

As expected the European Commission also used the occasion to re-launch the EU-Mercosur trade negotiations. While recognising the need to progress regional trade, Ireland along with other member states continues to have concerns about the prospects of a fair and balanced outcome to these negotiations. The summit was also a good forum for advancing Ireland's bilateral relations and I met with a number of leaders from the Latin American and Caribbean countries, including President Fernandez Kirchner of Argentina and President Piñera of Chile. These meetings were very constructive and it was particularly useful to get their perspective on key global issues and how we can develop closer bilateral and trade relations.

While in Madrid I also took the opportunity to meet formally with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero. We had a thorough and positive meeting covering a range of issues, including the financial crisis and preparation of the European Council in June. We also discussed the excellent bilateral relations between our two countries and improving economic relations.

I met with President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania in Government Buildings on Monday, 10 May. The President was making an official visit to Ireland. At the meeting we discussed a wide range of issues, including the package of measures agreed in pursuit of stabilising the euro, the Europe 2020 strategy, our forthcoming Presidencies of the EU and the OSCE, EU external relations, bilateral relations between our countries and the sizeable Lithuanian community in Ireland.

The agenda for the June European Council has not yet been formally finalised.

I informed the House last week about the draft annotated agenda, which signals that discussions are expected to focus on the EU2020 strategy, the G20 Toronto summit, the UN millennium development goals and climate change. I also expect that President Van Rompuy will brief us on the ongoing work of the task force dealing with budgetary discipline.

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