IRELAND’S newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister has had an introductory call with her British counterpart Yvette Cooper.
Helen McEntee spoke with the British Foreign Secretary by phone yesterday.
It marked the first formal interaction by the pair since Ms McEntee was given the foreign affairs portfolio last month in a cabinet reshuffle prompted by the departure of Paschal Donohoe from government.
“Their introductory call focused on the shared ambition of both Governments to deepen cooperation across all aspects of the British-Irish relationship, as committed to at the first UK-Ireland Summit held in March 2025,” a spokesperson for Minister McEntee’s office confirmed.
As well as bilateral relations, Minister McEntee and Foreign Secretary Cooper briefly discussed EU-UK relations and” broader geopolitical and security concerns” which including the situation in Gaza and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Newly appointed foreign affairs minister Helen McEnteeSpeaking after the meeting, Minister McEntee said: “I look forward to working closely with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on the many shared challenges and opportunities that are best addressed through cooperation by Ireland and the UK.
“That includes our bilateral relationship, of course, including Northern Ireland and the Common Travel Area, but also our shared interests in Europe, and the global challenges we face together.”
She added: “Our two Governments continue to build positive momentum in line with the ambitions of the milestone UK-Ireland Joint Statement agreed at the inaugural UK-Ireland Summit in March, which set out a framework for cooperation to 2030.
“Leveraging the renewal in our partnership in order to deliver for all the people of these islands is an important aspect of the British Irish relationship.”