Jaishankar, Irish FM discuss ties as Ireland assumes EU presidency

EAM S Jaishankar held talks with Irish FM Helen McEntee as Ireland began its 6-month EU Council presidency. They discussed deepening bilateral ties in trade and education and strengthening their partnership in the multilateral domain.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held a conversation with his Irish counterpart as the country takes over the European Union Council's presidency for the next six months. He discussed deepening bilateral ties with a focus on trade and education and carrying forward cooperation between the two countries in the multilateral fora.

Bilateral and Multilateral Partnership

"Glad to speak to FM @HMcEntee of Ireland. Conveyed best wishes as Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Discussed deepening our cooperation, including in trade and education. Will carry forward our partnership in the multilateral domain," Jaishankar said.

Glad to speak to FM @HMcEntee of Ireland. Conveyed best wishes as Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Discussed deepening our cooperation, including in trade and education. Will carry forward our partnership in the multilateral domain. 🇮🇳 🇮🇪… — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 30, 2026

In a post on X, Foreign Minister Helen McEntee underlined that Ireland will focus on strengthening competitiveness and enhancing security. Tomorrow, Ireland begins its Presidency of the Council of the EU. We’ll be leading work of the Council over the next 6 months at a pivotal moment for Europe. Ireland will focus on strengthening competitiveness, enhancing security & upholding the values that unite us. pic.twitter.com/gQIDxty3J5 — Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) June 30, 2026

Ireland's Eighth EU Presidency

Ireland will take over the EU's presidency on Wednesday (July 1). From July to December 2026, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union - a central leadership role at the heart of EU decision-making.

An official website of the Government of Ireland noted that for six months, Ireland will guide negotiations, broker agreements between Member States, and help deliver EU laws and policies that affect the daily lives of more than 450 million people. "This will be the eighth time Ireland has held the rotating Presidency - a responsibility that reflects our enduring commitment to partnership, cooperation and progress in Europe. Ireland last held the role in 2013, and previously in 1975, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2004," the website noted.

Key Priorities for the Presidency

The official website of Ireland's EU presidency noted that it will work on five agreed strategic building blocks. These include simplifying rules via reducing unnecessary administrative burdens through prioritisation of the Omnibus simplification packages; promoting a more integrated single market through elimination of barriers, tackling regulatory burdens, boosting internal market trade, driving digital transformation and ensuring level-playing field for business operating across EU. Other priorities include strengthening trade relationships with reliable global partners and diversifies our markets; supporting all efforts to respond to energy crisis being faced by Europe and also strengthening EU's capacities in cloud computing and AI to advance EU's position on digital governance. (ANI)

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