Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The next meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade Formation) will take place in Brussels on 22 and 23 January 2024. I will attend this meeting as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The event is hosted by the Belgian Presidency who will be represented by Ms. Hadja Lahbib, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and Federal Cultural Institutions. The European Commission will be represented by Executive Vice President and Commissioner for Trade, Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis.

The programme begins on the evening of Monday, 22 January with a Ministerial reception in the presence of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation.

There are two working sessions scheduled for Tuesday, 23 January.

Firstly, Ministers in attendance will discuss preparations for the forthcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference which will take place on 26 to 29 February in Abu Dhabu, UAE.

The second session will see a discussion on the EU's policy of Open Strategic Autonomy.

Over lunch Ministers will discuss the latest developments in EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Mr. Bernd Lange, chair of the EU Parliament's Trade committee.

I am looking forward to attending this Council and engaging with my Ministerial counterparts on what is an important agenda in the lead up to the WTO Ministerial in February.