Today at the summit of EU leaders in Brussels, Taoiseach Simon Harris will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to discuss efforts to have the EU review its Association Agreement with Israel in light of the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
Mr. Harris will also focus on the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission and discuss migration with leaders such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend.
With migration a key issue, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has suggested bringing forward elements of the EU’s Migration Pact and exploring “innovative solutions” such as Italy’s outsourcing agreement with Albania for asylum seekers.
The Irish Government wants to ensure any solution is in line with international law, with NGOs raising concerns. Mr. Harris believes the ICJ opinion has created a new context for reviewing the Association Agreement with Israel and is urging more member states to join the effort.