Ireland looks to build on India ties under new Asia-Pacific plan

THE ASIA-PACIFIC STRATEGY FINALISED IN 2020, WAS REFRESHED IN VIEW OF GEOPOLITICAL CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY THE COVID-19 AND THE UKRAINE WAR

- Rezaul Laskar

DUBLIN: As Ireland prepares to ramp up its diplomatic footprint in Asia and the Pacific, the leadership in Dublin is looking to build on age-old cultural and political ties with India by forging closer cooperation in trade, investment and the digital transition.

At the same time, Ireland is "clear-eyed" about its relationship with China, with plans to cooperate on global challenges such as the climate crisis while not hesitating to raise issues on which there are differences, as well as challenges posed by Beijing's border disputes across the region.

India figures prominently in an updated Asia-Pacific strategy unveiled by deputy prime minister Micheal Martin at the Global Ireland Summit, a conclave of ambassadors and top foreign policy officials, on Tuesday. The strategy, originally finalised in 2020, was refreshed in view of geopolitical challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.

According to the document, Ireland will deepen its "strategic relationship with India across all strands of cooperation, including strengthened political contacts, a deeper trade and investment relationship", and back the conclusion of a "comprehensive, ambitious" European Union (EU)-India free trade agreement.

At an interaction with a group of journalists from Asia and the Pacific, Martin referred to historic cultural and political relations between India and Ireland, including groundwork done by Irish missionaries for the relationship and the strong ties between former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former president Eamon de Valera.