India and Ireland Forge Stronger Ties with New Joint Economic Commission
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris in Dublin and jointly declared that India and Ireland would create a Joint Economic Commission to expand trade, investment, and technology cooperation between the two countries. The move is an important step towards the enhancement of bilateral ties and deeper economic cooperation.
Jaishankar posted the update on social media site X on Friday, saying, "A warm and open meeting with Tanaiste & FM @SimonHarrisTD of Ireland this morning in Dublin. We discussed our bilateral cooperation, including a new Action Plan to reinvigorate ties. Agreed to set up a Joint Economic Commission to increase our trade, investment and technology linkages". The two leaders also discussed major global issues, such as the Ukraine war, West Asia, Afghanistan, and the Indo-Pacific region. Talks were also extended to India-EU collaboration and the significance of multilateralism for dealing with common global challenges.
On the end of his Ireland visit, Jaishankar paid homage to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at St Stephen's Green Park in Dublin. He posted on X, "Paid tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore at the St Stephen's Green Park in Dublin at the end of my visit to Ireland".
Jaishankar subsequently visited Northern Ireland and met with Junior Minister Aisling Reilly and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. He thanked them for their assistance in the opening of the Indian Consulate in Belfast and discussed ways of deepening cooperation in different sectors. Jaishankar posted, "Nice to meet Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland @little_pengelly and Junior Minister @aislingreillysf tonight in Belfast. Grateful to them for all the support in establishing our Consulate. Explored opportunities for India's enhanced engagement with Northern Ireland, particularly in skills, Cyber, Tech, creative industries and manufacturing".
Jaishankar visited Queen's University Belfast, which has decided to have a campus at GIFT City in Gujarat on Friday evening. Jaishankar also interacted with Indian students studying at Belfast, who said, "Good to visit Queen's University in Belfast this evening. Their proposed campus at GIFT City, Gujarat is the potential that existing connections hold in education. Appreciated meeting the Indian students enrolled in studies currently at @QUBelfast".
The trip peaked with the inauguration of the Indian Consulate at Belfast, described by Jaishankar as a seminal change for the Indian community and bilateral relations. "The Consulate will address the needs of the Indian community as well as foster further cooperation on trade, technology, business, and education", he tweeted on X. The sequence of high-level meetings and interactions reflects the changing dynamics of the relationship between India, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, laying the foundation for future cooperation and development.
