Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney is in New York for a two visit that will be dominated by meetings focused on the war in Ukraine.
But Coveney will also be meeting Tuesday with Irish American community leaders to discuss the current situation with regard to the North and the Good Friday Agreement.
The two day visit covered Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, Coveney participated in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations on Europe’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.
On Tuesday morning, he participated in an open debate at the UN Security Council on the theme of Women, Peace and Security.
Highlighting the grim reality currently facing women and girls in Afghanistan and Ukraine, he will stress the responsibility of the international community to uphold the rights of all women at risk due to conflict, said a release.
Tuesday’s program includes a meeting with the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, and a meeting with representatives of Irish America to discuss the Good Friday Agreement, Reconciliation and Legacy issues. Minister Coveney will also meet with UN Secretary General, António Guterres, added the release.
Coveney's prepared remarks for delivery to the Council on Foreign Relations stated: "In Kyiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv these past weeks, the world has witnessed war crimes. The indiscriminate, unconscionable targeting of civilians. The probable use of cluster munitions. Attacks on nuclear facilities. And the thinly veiled threat of nuclear action.
"Across our screens, in real time, we’ve watched terrified children huddle in makeshift bunkers. City centres crumble under sustained shelling.
"We’ve seen the drawn, disbelieving faces of Ukrainian pensioners forced from their homes. And the stoic dignity of the sons and daughters who’ve stayed behind to defend them. We’ve marveled at the measured calm - and immeasurable courage - of President Zelensky. A leader who inspires people, while his Russian counterpart only inspires fear.
"And watching this, it’s been clear that, while bombs are raining down on Kyiv, in important ways, we are all under attack. In assaulting Ukraine, unprovoked, President Putin has assaulted the international order and the values underpinning it. These are not liberal values. They are not western values. They are human values.
"Underpinned by the UN Charter and International Law. Borne of enlightened diplomacy. Shaped by the experience of war, and the determination that others should not suffer it. Ukraine’s plight, then, is ours too.
"Europe’s response has matched this reality. The EU itself was forged in crisis. And in the past fortnight, our Union has acted with an urgency and a unity I have not seen in my quarter century in politics. Over a few days, in lock step with the U.S., Norway, Canada and the UK, we unleashed unprecedented severe sanctions against the kleptocrats of the Kremlin.
"We ejected Russian banks from SWIFT. Impounded the assets of countless oligarchs. And shut our skies to Russian and Belarussian planes.
"At the same time, we’ve committed billions in support packages to Ukraine. Agreed a package of €500 million for the Ukrainian military through the new European Peace Facility. And prepared to welcome millions of displaced refugees.
"Knowing what it means to seek sanctuary far from home, we in Ireland unilaterally suspended all visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens. And expressed our strong support for Ukraine’s application for EU membership.
"At the UN, we’ve been to the forefront of efforts to bring the violence to an end. And hold Russia to account. As an elected member of the Security Council, we backed a draft resolution condemning the offensive as a flagrant violation of the charter.
"And when, inevitably, that was vetoed by Russia, we moved quickly with partners to deliver an extraordinary session of the General Assembly. Where Russia was delivered an extraordinary reprimand, as 141 nations rejected its naked aggression.
"Of the world’s states, just four sided with Russia - Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, and Syria. Evidence, perhaps, of Aesop’s enduring wisdom: that we are known by the company we keep.
"Following this rebuke, Ireland joined 37 other states in referring Russia to the International Criminal Court. Enabling the Prosecutor to launch an investigation into the war crimes we believe President Putin has perpetrated.
"At the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and in Brussels, Ireland continues to call on Russia to ceasefire, to protect civilians and to allow unhindered humanitarian access.
"It is important that I am clear that the actions we have taken are not a criticism of the Russian people. The government led by President Putin continues to mislead the Russian people with misinformation and propaganda.
"We have seen thousands of courageous Russians gathering to publicly protest and voice their opposition. We support their right to do so, which is clear under the UN Charter to which all UN members have subscribed.
"A week from now our Taoiseach will call on President Biden in the White House to mark St. Patrick’s Day. And to affirm our shared values and shared commitment to Ukraine’s freedom.
"These are dark days in our history. But we find hope in the resilience of the brave and brilliant people of Ukraine. In the unity with which free people have responded to Russian aggression. And in our collective determination to hold the guilty to account."
The Irish Times reported that Coveney, who is also Minister for Defense, told the Council on Foreign Relations that Ireland was likely to be much more open in future to collective defense following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,
"However he told an audience in New York on Monday evening that he did not think Ireland was 'in the space of Nato membership.'"
Added the Times report: "He said politics in Ireland were changing with regard to common security and defense from an EU perspective.
"He added that the Russian attack on Ukraine reinforced the need to look at increasing military capacity in Ireland as proposed by the recent commission on defense and he would be bringing proposals to Cabinet in the months ahead.
"The Minister said in future there may be a greater appetite to spend more resources on defense as well as for co-operation with other EU countries and partnerships with Nato in some areas.
"Mr. Coveney pointed to cybersecurity, saying the attack on the HSE last year had originated “in the east of Europe” and had cost €130million to resolve. He said the cyberattack and events in Ukraine had shaken people into realising that being neutral did not mean they would be secure, stable and safe.
"Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York he said: 'The approach that Ireland has taken which has been based on the Irish public believing that by being neutral Ireland can get along with everybody, and be a broker in conflict situations and can do things that perhaps Nato members cannot do as they are seen as partisan on certain issues. I think people are now questioning whether Ireland’s own security is as stable as we thought it was.'
"Mr Coveney said the EU was considering a fourth round of sanctions against Russia with an announcement possible in a few days. He suggested items such as oil, coal, timber and gas were being looked at but there was no agreement yet."
