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Taoiseach meets President Juncker in Brussels for Brexit talks

The Taoiseach is in Brussels, today for a series of meetings, as part of his ongoing engagement in relation to Brexit.

The Taoiseach will have a bilateral meeting with the Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel. He will highlight and explain Ireland's particular concerns arising from Brexit, including in relation to Northern Ireland and the Peace Process, the Common Travel Area, our trade and economy, and the future of the EU itself, and will exchange views with Prime Minister Michel about the negotiations process ahead. The two leaders will also discuss the strength of bilateral relations and the large volumes of trade between Belgium and Ireland.

The Taoiseach will then attend a high-level business event organised by the Ireland Belgium Business Association with the support of Enterprise Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland where he will meet with a number of key business contacts and outline our strong commitment to EU membership, our approach to the Brexit negotiations and our determination to intensify our focus on Belgium as a key Irish export market. The event will help to further raise the profile of Ireland and promote our extensive experience and capability in key sectors such as construction, engineering, financial and business services.

The Taoiseach will also meet with European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker. He will again use the opportunity to outline in detail our particular concerns in relation to Brexit, and to emphasise the importance of an orderly and constructive negotiations process that protects the EU and Irish interests and allows for a close and positive future relationship between the EU and the UK.