Taoiseach Simon Harris will meet the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, in Brussels and Warsaw today.
He will also attend a summit hosted by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, alongside the Prime Ministers of Spain, Finland, Estonia, Greece and Luxembourg.
Mr Harris will use the opportunity, ahead of next week’s EU council summit, to raise the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and to repeat Ireland’s call for an immediate ceasefire and for all aid routes to open.
The Taoiseach will reiterate to a number of like-minded countries that Ireland stands ready to recognise the state of Palestine.
Earlier this week in the Dáil following Mr Harris’s election as Taoiseach, Tánaiste Micheál Martin had said he will bring a formal proposal on recognition of a Palestinian state to the Government when “wider international discussions” are complete.
“Be in no doubt recognition of a Palestinian state will happen,” Mr Martin said.
“The grave humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the desperate overwhelming need to return some hope to this region will continue to be an urgent priority,” he said.
“I am in no doubt that war crimes have been committed, and I openly condemn the ongoing bombardment of the Gaza people.”
