Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be continuing in it shortly. Is deis a bheidh ann freisin do AE agus ASEAN cinneadh polaitíochta comhroinnte a léiriú chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar shaincheisteanna atá ina n-ábhair imní go réigiúnach agus ar fud an domhain.

Beidh cruinniú mullaigh idir AE agus na Balcáin Thiar ar siúl i dTiorána na hAlbáine an 6 Nollaig. Casfar ceannairí AE ar a macasamhlacha ó na Balcáin Thiar i mí na Nollag agus is deis a bheidh ann chun iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar na réimsí inar féidir leis na Balcáin Thiar agus AE tacaíocht agus cúnamh frithpháirteach a chur ar fáil i bhfianaise na ndúshlán comhchoiteann.

Leaders discussed the EU's relations with Asia and in particular with the ten Asian countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, and preparation for the upcoming EU-ASEAN commemorative summit on 14 December. Ireland is a strong supporter of EU-ASEAN relations and 45 years of partnership between the EU and ASEAN is a significant milestone. The summit will be an opportunity to give a strong political signal from Europe that we want to strengthen our strategic relations with south-east Asia through concrete and practical co-operation so the full potential of both regions can be realised. It will also be an opportunity for EU and ASEAN to demonstrate a shared political determination to address regional and global issues of concern. The summit comes at a critical time in terms of the current geopolitical context with Russia's war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. It will be a welcome opportunity for the EU and ASEAN to clearly signal shared support for the international rules-based order.

As I have already said, an EU-western Balkans summit will take place in Tirana, Albania on 6 December. It is welcome and significant that it will take place for the first time in the western Balkans region itself. The western Balkans, like the rest of Europe, is currently facing multifaceted challenges arising from the war on Ukraine, in the form of security concerns, political disruption, energy security and cost-of-living concerns. This comes on the back of the challenges of trying to rebuild their economies, which were laid low by the pandemic. When EU leaders meet with their counterparts in December, it will be an opportunity to explore where the western Balkans and the EU can provide mutual support and assistance in the face of these common challenges and where the EU can use its collective strength to assist its western Balkans neighbours with the political and economic supports to drive economic recovery, including with a view to an accelerated European Union pathway.

The pathway to EU membership is of course a thread that runs through all of our relationships in the western Balkans. Ireland would like to see the opportunities afforded to us as a member of the EU afforded to all countries who are prepared to meet the requirements of accession and Ireland will support those who wish to join. The Taoiseach was pleased to contribute to the decision of the European Council in June to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and potential candidate status to Georgia. This will support all three in moving forward with their reform agendas and towards full membership of the European Union. I welcome that the EU, through the General Affairs Council, officially launched accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in July. This sent an important signal to the region that the EU remains serious about enlargement. I am supportive of Bosnia and Herzegovina's European perspective. I expect the Commission's recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted EU candidate status will be on the agenda for discussion at the December European Council. This moment represents a real opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to move forward on its EU path but it can only do so by delivering on key reforms. I pay tribute to the team at the UN where the mandate for Operation Althea for Bosnia and Herzegovina was approved by unanimous vote of the UN Security Council at a meeting I attended.

I am out of time but that covers almost all the issues the Taoiseach asked me to.

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