India, Ireland to set up Joint Economic Commission to boost trade ties 

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Ireland is the first high-level political visit from India since the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015

London: India and Ireland have agreed to set up a Joint Economic Commission to increase bilateral trade, investment and technology ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced after a meeting with his Irish counterpart in Dublin on Friday.

He met Tanaiste (foreign minister) Simon Harris over a working breakfast meeting at the Department of Foreign Affairs. The duo also clinched an “Action Plan” to enhance the India-Irish partnership as a highlight of the first visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) to Ireland and the first high-level political visit from India since the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.

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“We discussed our bilateral cooperation, including a new Action Plan to reinvigorate ties. Agreed to set up a Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to increase our trade, investment and technology linkages,” Jaishankar posted on social media.

“Exchanged views on the recent developments in our respective regions and globally, including the Ukraine conflict, West Asia, Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Also spoke about India-EU cooperation and multilateralism,” he said.

The government of Ireland said in a statement that the JEC, once established, will serve as a vehicle to enhance internal cooperation and coordination, and strengthen the “likeminded partnership with one of the largest economies in the world”.

“With two-way trade already at EURO 16 billion, we’re committed to strengthening every opportunity for growth, investment, and collaboration,” said Harris.

The Irish minister said the first practical outworking towards this plan was the signing by both ministers of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on diplomatic exchange of officials.

“Minister Jaishankar and I also discussed a range of bilateral issues including Ireland and India’s cultural and people-to-people links, our engagement with India as committed members of the European Union and global issues such as Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the situations in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region and common challenges such as climate change,” stated Harris.

“We agreed that by working more closely together at the multilateral level, we can better address bilateral and global issues in a mutually beneficial manner,” he added.

Following the dialogue, Jaishankar concluded his Ireland tour with tributes at a memorial to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at the St Stephen’s Green Park in Dublin.

The EAM is scheduled to inaugurate new Consulate Generals of India in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Manchester, northern England over Friday and Saturday before concluding his week-long tour of the UK and Ireland.