Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I met the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, in Poland on Thursday, 5 September following my visit to Kyiv in Ukraine. I took the opportunity to thank the President, as the former President of the European Council, for his enormous solidarity, personal commitment and support to Ireland during the process of Brexit. We discussed bilateral relations between Ireland and Poland as well as current EU and international issues. The relationship between Poland and Ireland has never been more positive, especially through our shared membership of the European Union and our very strong and well-established people-to-people ties. I took the opportunity to highlight to Prime Minister Tusk the enormous contribution the strong and vibrant Polish community makes to our country. I acknowledge that again today on the record of this House. Prime Minister Tusk and I also discussed various current issues on the European Union’s agenda, including the nomination of the new Commission, the forthcoming Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year and improving Europe’s competitiveness and deepening the Single Market. Much of our discussion focused on the current situation on the ground in Ukraine and what more the EU can do to support the Government there and people of Ukraine. We also spoke about developments in the wider region, including Belarus, which borders Poland, and Moldova.

On the Middle East I stressed to Prime Minister Tusk the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an increase in humanitarian support and progress working toward a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. Ireland and Poland work closely together through the United Nations, and I expressed my appreciation for the joint work of the Irish-Polish contingent working in Lebanon. I also met with Prime Minister Tusk at last week’s European Council meeting, where we discussed the serious escalation of violence in the Middle East and the obligations on all sides to protect our peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, and agreed a strong signal of support from the EU for UNIFIL.

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