The Taoiseach Simon Harris will attend the European Political Community Summit in Oxfordshire later today.

The event will be attended by leaders from across Europe and will focus on security issues, including the war in Ukraine.

Yesterday evening, the Taoiseach met with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, for a bilateral meeting.

Both agreed to annual summits, led by both leaders, which would see the UK and Irish Governments work on joint initiatives.

Mr Starmer also agreed to visit Ireland on 7 September.

They will also have an opportunity to meet at the EPC event today.

The European Political Community was established only two years ago, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It provides an opportunity for 47 countries both inside the European Union and outside of it to engage with each other on matters of shared interest.


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Today's meeting is being hosted by the UK, and will see discussion focus on European security, including the spread of disinformation.

The UK prime minister will tell those gathered that border security will be at the heart of his Government's reset with Europe.

Speaking before today's summit he said that the "EPC will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe".

Tackling disinformation is also set to be a focus of today's EPC summit.

Before travelling to Oxfordshire, Mr Harris committed to advocating "for a multi-stakeholder approach to combatting disinformation and foreign interference, which is threatening to undermine our electoral processes, and for greater support for international organisations, including the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe, who are working hard to protect and promote the fundamental values that are the bedrock of our vibrant democracies".