Irish Ambassador to UK talks to Welsh business leaders about relationships with Welsh and UK Governments
Irish Ambassador to UK talks to Welsh business leaders about relationships with Welsh and UK Governments
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The Irish Ambassador to the UK has praised the deepening relationship between Ireland and Wales during a visit to Cardiff.
Speaking at a Cardiff Business Club lunch, Ambassador Martin Fraser said it was “a great honour” to address Welsh business leaders alongside the Consul in the Welsh capital.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to meet people here and also talk about the relationship between Ireland and Wales. It’s something we work really, really hard on. We have a shared statement between the two governments. My government meets with the Welsh government very regularly,” he said.
The Ambassador highlighted the wide-ranging links between the two nations, from cultural ties to business relationships.
“There are so many connections with business, with trade, with universities and with people, between Ireland and Wales so it’s just great to be able to come here and talk about that,” he added.
While Brexit once strained cross-border cooperation between Ireland and the UK Governments, the Ambassador said relations are now on a much stronger footing.
“Relations now are very good. We’ve just concluded a five-year work programme with the British government. It was agreed at a summit between the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister in Liverpool earlier this year and we have a joint programme with Wales and thankfully we also have a new agreement between the EU and the UK.
“All of the relationships on the islands are very much dependent on a relationship between the UK, the Irish government and the EU. We have a new agreement between the EU and the UK [which was] agreed in May. Things are looking up,” he explained.
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