Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee will travel to the Gulf region this morning for meetings in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, likely to focus on the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis and Irish links to the region.
Minister McEntee said the visit is intended to underline Ireland’s “solidarity” with people in the Gulf and to discuss ways to improve “stability” among neighbouring nations.
Speaking before leaving for the visit, Ms McEntee said: “Our Gulf partners have been directly impacted by the conflict and have demonstrated commendable restraint in the face of Iranian attacks.
“We hope that the recent ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran can lead to a lasting agreement that addresses the main issues at stake, including Iran’s nuclear programme, and fully restores free movement through the Strait of Hormuz.”
She said the visit is an “opportunity to demonstrate Ireland’s solidarity and to discuss how Ireland and the EU can contribute to efforts to secure peace and stability in the region”.
“Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also actively engaged in efforts to secure peace in the wider region, including in relation to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and I look forward to discussing these issues with my counterparts,” she added.
Outside of peace and stability in the region, Minister McEntee’s visit is also intended to further emphasise economic ties between Ireland and the region during Ireland’s EU presidency, as well as to reconnect with Irish communities there.
The minister will also take time during the visit to meet with a group of women in Saudi Arabia “including graduates of Irish universities and women working in aviation” to discuss what she said will be their “perspectives on Saudi Arabia’s ongoing social and economic transformation”.