Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 92 together.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the most recent Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers' format in Brussels on 17th May of this year. Ireland was, on this occasion, represented by Ireland's PSC Ambassador along with Department of Defence officials.

There were two items on the agenda; the implementation of the Strategic Compass in respect of CSDP missions and operations and a discussion on Russian aggression against Ukraine.

These discussions helped prepare the informal exchange of views over lunch with the Ukrainian Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov (who participated by VTC) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. This exchange allowed Member States to receive a first-hand account of military developments in Ukraine and demonstrate continued and unwavering transatlantic solidarity with the Ukrainian people and government. Defence Ministers also received a short Current Affairs briefing which provided an update on the latest developments in Ukraine and in the Sahel, with a particular focus on Mali. Sweden and Finland also took the opportunity to formally advise of their intention to apply for NATO membership.

In advance of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers format, Ireland also participated in a meeting of the European Defence Agency Steering Board. Delegates exchanged views on the direction of EU leaders in Versailles to the Commission to prepare, in coordination with the EDA, an analysis of the EU defence investment gaps, and in particular on the EDA’s preliminary analysis.  The steering board also approved the establishment of a Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI) within the EDA.

The EU response to the war in Ukraine remains a matter of the highest priority both to my EU counterparts and to me. Ukraine is discussed in all manner of fora and is expected to remain a high priority topic on all meeting agendas in the future.  The situation in Ukraine was also discussed extensively at the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (FAC), which took place in Brussels on the previous day and in which I took a full part.