The Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, begins a one-day visit to the Czech Republic today, 8 February, his first visit to the Czech Republic since becoming Minister of State for European Affairs in July 2020.
During his visit, the Minister will meet with his Czech counterpart, Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Mikuláš Bek, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aleš Chmelař, the President of the Senate, Mr. Miloš Vystrčil, and members of the
Committee for European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies. These meetings will be an opportunity to discuss the bilateral relationship between our two countries and current priorities on the EU agenda including, amongst others, the forthcoming Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, EU-UK relations, COVID-19, Rule of Law and the situation in Ukraine.The Minister will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives of Irish companies active in the Czech market and to discuss the Czech Irish trade and investment relationship.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Minister said:
"I look forward to engaging with my Czech counterparts across a broad range of issues. This is an important opportunity to further our bilateral relationship with a key EU Member State. My visit will provide an opportunity for dialogue around common priority areas, including the recovery from the pandemic, trade, and the tensions on the Ukraine/Russia border.
"This visit is especially timely given that the Czech Republic will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year and I am very much looking forward to learning more about the priorities for their Presidency."
The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will begin in the second half of 2022, following the conclusion of the current French Presidency. The current Czech coalition Government was appointed in December 2021.
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