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“I think the work that the Commission is doing in India is very, very important,” Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne told Euronews as EU leaders visit India to try to close a Free Trade Agreement with the Asian country.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa travelled to New Delhi on Saturday in hopes of clinching a deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The Mother of All Deals”, as nicknamed by Von der Leyen, is expected to be signed this Tuesday.
“I think it’s absolutely essential for Europe and indeed for Ireland as well,” Byrne told Euronews’ flagship morning show Europe Today.
“Ireland is very much in favour of trade diversification and opening up as many markets as possible…obviously we would have to look at the details of it.” Ireland has “benefited hugely from international trade over the years”, he said.
Byrne thinks Ukraine “will be part of the discussion” in India.
“What’s happening in Ukraine at the moment is pretty unparalleled. It’s unconscionable. It shouldn’t be happening,” he said.
Byrne explained that is why he is “not going to criticise” Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, even after Zelenskyy was “strong” with his words at last week’s World Economic Forum summit in Davos.
In an excoriating speech, Zelenskyy said the EU “looks lost” and is trapped in an endless cycle of failing to both defend itself and decisively support Ukraine.
“Our role now is to do as much as possible to bring this to an end. We must continue to put economic pressure on Russia,” Byrne told Euronews.
“I think certainly people want to see this war come to an end, because they realise that it is an economic and security threat to Europe and to all of us.”
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