Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his recent meeting with the French Foreign Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21843/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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On Sunday, 13 May I hosted Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, for a working dinner in Dublin.

We discussed the current state of play in the Brexit negotiations and I reiterated our appreciation for the solidarity shown by France on the Irish-specific issues.

We took stock of recent developments in the Middle East Peace Process and explored the prospects for progress in the coming months. Our meeting occurred before the tragic events which took place the following day.

Minister Le Drian briefed me on France’s approach to the maintenance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, in light of the decision by President Trump to withdraw from the deal.

The meeting included a discussion on EU-Africa relations and, in particular, how to enhance dialogue between Europe and Africa in order to ensure both sides can engage better on tackling challenges such as terrorism, climate change, migration and poverty.

The meeting confirmed that the bilateral relationship between us is excellent. Ireland and France have a shared, or similar, analysis of many of the foreign policy challenges we face together as members of the European Union. We also have strong historical, cultural and economic ties, and we discussed progress on the proposed electricity interconnector between the two countries. I greatly appreciate the close working relationship which Minister Le Drian and I have developed.