The first annual UK-Ireland Summit is taking place in Liverpool. Taoiseach Micheál Martin met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last night.
The summit was agreed last year to mark an improvement of British-Irish relations.
A number of senior government ministers from Ireland and the United Kingdom are attending the summit in the North West of England.
Tánaiste Simon Harris will also be there today.
Speaking ahead of his visit to the UK, the Tánaiste said the summit follows on from “the commitment Prime Minister Starmer and I made in Dublin last September to renew and rebuild the Irish-British relationship.”
“The Prime Minister and I were clear last year on the profound significance of our relationship. As neighbours with significant trade and investment in both directions, shared strategic challenges in an increasingly complex geo-political environment, and as co-guarantors of peace on the island of Ireland, we are committed to work intensively together for the good of everyone living across these islands.
“I look forward to agreeing an ambitious programme of practical cooperation with the British government. In my role as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister of Defence, my focus in particular is on the range of commitments we will make on foreign and security policy issues, on strengthening our trade and investment partnership, and on effectively dealing with the complex legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
“The people living across these islands expect and deserve cooperation between our two governments that is rooted in respect, partnership and friendship. This Summit is a tangible expression of our joint commitment to this.”
In the afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin will head to Brussels where an emergency EU summit is taking place.
EU leaders will discuss the European Commission’s €800 billion defence plan which President Ursula von der Leyen has branded “ReArm Europe”.
The EU27 will also discuss Ukraine including the idea for a one month air and sea ceasefire.
They will also discuss possible security guarantees the EU could provide once the Ukraine war is over.