“Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union has just begun. The main objectives are to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, security and upholding the European Union’s values. In our view, the most important thing is to impose sanctions on Russia and focus on supporting Ukraine so that the aggressor will not win the war,” Tali said. “Putin’s Russia is attacking our European values and freedom. Therefore, it is important to continue developing Europe’s defence capabilities, including through cooperation with NATO and the UN. It is a pleasure to see these goals among Ireland’s priorities.”
“In the context of defending the values of the European Union, it is underlined that supporting Ukraine requires achieving a just and lasting peace and compliance with international law. It is also noted that the goal is to strengthen the EU’s role as a promoter of a rules-based international order,” Tali said. “As regards improving competitiveness, we fully agree with the goal of simplifying rules, strengthening trade relationships, lowering energy prices, and accelerating digital development.”
On 1 July, Ireland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months, focusing on strengthening the economic prosperity, security and core values of the EU. The meeting will also address parliamentary cooperation and democratic resilience in an uncertain world. The meeting of the Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs will open with a welcoming address by Verona Murphy, Speaker of Dáil Éireann (lower house of the Parliament of Ireland).
COSAC is a cooperation format that brings together the European Union Affairs Committees of the national parliaments of the 27 EU Member States. The COSAC Plenary Meeting will take place in Dublin on 6–8 December.