Minister Murphy Attends Meeting Of EU Foreign Ministers

The Minister for European Affairs, Dara Murphy, has attended a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to discuss Libya, Syria, Migration and EU relations.

Speaking after the meeting in Luxembourg, Minister Murphy said: "Today Ireland and our EU partners sent a clear message that we will continue to put all of our political weight, actively and effectively, behind UN-led international efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria, and I call on regional and international partners to do likewise. The protection of civilians is of the utmost priority for the international community.

"I reiterate Ireland's condemnation of the unacceptable and indiscriminate attacks that the Syrian regime continues to commit against its own people, and the atrocities perpetrated by Da'esh and other terrorist groups against all civilians, including the enslavement of women and girls and the persecution of Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities."

At their meeting, the EU Foreign Ministers also discussed the situation in Libya and the migration crisis. Minister Murphy added: "I welcome the political agreement in Libya which has been proposed by the UN, and I urge all parties to quickly approve and support this deal so that Libya can take the path of peace and prosperity.

"The crises in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya are at the very heart of the forced displacement which has led to the migration crisis. Today, Ireland and our EU partners reiterated our commitment to urgently addressing the conflict, political instability, lack of socio-economic development and poor governance which are the root causes of refugee flows. The protection of the human rights of those seeking international protection must be central to the EU's approach to the migration issue".

(MH)/LM