London, Apr. 12, (PA Media/dpa/GNA) – The humanitarian “disaster” in Gaza and the invasion of Ukraine were among the issues new Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris raised with European leaders on Thursday.
Harris met senior European figures in Brussels and Warsaw on his second full day in office.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Harris was “taking office in challenging times.”
“I’m glad to count on Ireland in our unwavering support to Ukraine and our efforts to help restore stability in the Middle East.
“Glad also to see you so committed to Europe’s future competitiveness,” she said on the social media site X, formerly Twitter.
Harris said they had a “strong” meeting where Ukraine, EU agriculture, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a ceasefire were discussed.
Earlier on Thursday Harris met European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, a Maltese MEP, where they also discussed Ukraine and Gaza.
Metsola said: “Great to have you at the European Parliament, Simon Harris, just a few hours after being elected taoiseach [prime minister] of Ireland.
“Together Europe and Ireland have come a long way in ensuring prosperity, peace and positive transformation. Moving forward, we must stay the course: united.”
Harris then travelled to Warsaw where he was holding a bilateral meeting with the European Council President Charles Michel.
He also met the prime ministers of Poland and Spain, Donald Tusk and Pedro Sánchez, as well as the leaders of Luxembourg, Estonia, Finland and Greece.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government criticized his inaugural speech to the lower house of the Irish parliament, or Dáil, as taoiseach on Tuesday for referencing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and not mentioning hostages taken by Hamas.
The Irish government has defended the speech as “absolutely clear” in its intent and said that Ireland’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin had mentioned the hostages taken by Hamas “umpteen times.”
Harris said on Instagram on Wednesday that Sánchez is to travel to Dublin on Friday to discuss thier “joint view in relation to the need to recognize the state of Palestine.”
On Tuesday, the day Harris became taoiseach, it was announced in the Dáil that Ireland plans to recognize the state of Palestine along with Spain, Belgium and Malta.
On Wednesday, the taoiseach spoke on the phone with Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.