First Minister to host inaugural Ireland-Wales Ministerial Forum today
The First Minister will host the first Ireland-Wales Forum in Cardiff today.
Mark Drakeford will be joined at the forum by Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney.
The forum is a key commitment set out in the Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan launched in March of this year.
Both Governments say they will commit to strengthen the political and economic ties between the two countries.
The forum is a chance to discuss co-operation on green energy, climate action and shared ambitions to meet Net Zero targets ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow the Forum
The First Minister said: “It will be a pleasure to welcome Minister Coveney and colleagues to Wales.
“The Forum is a symbol of our joint commitment to strengthening our existing ties at political, economic and cultural level.
“These talks are another example of bonds strengthening between the two Celtic countries.
“I look forward to continuing to build on our existing relationship and deepen co-operation with our closest European Union neighbour.”
Speaking ahead of the Forum, Minister Coveney said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet with First Minister Mark Drakeford today and, together with him, co-chair the Inaugural Ireland Wales Forum.”
‘Ambitious’
He added: “We launched an ambitious framework for the Ireland Wales relationship earlier this year and one of our shared priorities was to strengthen the Ireland Wales relationship and deepen cooperation.
“I believe the Ireland Wales Forum will be an excellent platform for doing so and I am pleased to be joined by Minister Troy and Minister Ryan today”.
The delegation will hear from Future Leaders Academy and the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. They will give an overview of the priorities of young people in Wales for COP26.
During the event the First Minister will announce nine co-operation projects with Ireland. The funds were facilitated through the ScORE Cymru programme launched by the Welsh European Funding Office this summer.
The successful selected projects in fields such as energy, coastal communities, trade and tourism, creative industries, culture and language will further boost collaboration through industry and research links across a range of sectors, it has been claimed.
After the Forum, the First Minister and Minister Coveney will attend the official opening of the Irish Consulate in Cardiff.
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I wish them well, in this very sensible venture. It will be interesting to see what Mr B Johnson in London makes of this: talking to our closest European neighbour, indeed! (How dare we…?)
Exactly. Uncle Boris doesn’t like our FM having a foreign policy, and he’s made disparaging public comments about it in the recent past. It’ll be in the minutes of the next Union Unit meeting, no doubt.
Friends are far more important than overlords.
An Irish Consulate in Wales – a very exciting day.
What? No ‘Welsh’ Tory voice raised to tell us why this is a bad thing and what a naughty precocious boy MD is?
Perhaps if I count to 10?
Excellent news. I welcome closer ties and cooperation.
The Celtic Nations need closer ties and cooperation because they will see none from Westminster, they only pour scorn on any form of initiative that they consider treasonous to Boris Bodybags Butcher Johnson and his band of thieves, even their echo chamber think tank in Wales has no idea about the real world….empty vessels make the most noise in the tory ranks in Wales.
As a Welshman with Irish ancestry too I am really happy about this. Building greater co-operation between our two nations is fantastic news.
My Irish Nan and Welsh Taid would be really happy about this too.
Direct trade with the EU is a whole lot better than sending everything through a neighbouring country which does not have our best interests at heart