Taoiseach Martin welcomes 50 world leaders to Dublin for the largest diplomatic event in State history

Dublin spent two days at the centre of European diplomacy this week. Ireland hosted the ninth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) on Thursday 12 November, followed by an informal meeting of European Council leaders on Friday 13 November. It is the largest diplomatic event in the history of the State.

Up to 50 heads of state and government attended, from Iceland to Armenia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were among them, along with seven leaders of EU institutions.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin greeted each leader personally, a task the Irish Times described as perhaps his greatest diplomatic challenge. He had to balance warmth with cultural and personal differences, and one greeting, for Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, was a kiss on both cheeks.

Ukraine dominated the discussions. Volodymyr Zelensky told the opening plenary that the EU should stay alert to Russian efforts to rewrite Europe’s security architecture ahead of any ceasefire. He said he would meet US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Dublin that evening, after their talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Earlier, Kushner had said the EU must be involved in the talks to guarantee Europe’s security. RTÉ’s takeaways described a shift towards optimism about Europe’s role in peace negotiations.

Security was the biggest operation in the State’s history. More than 5,000 gardaí were deployed and a €40m policing facility was set up, with bridges and checkpoints closed and restricted airspace over the city. Gardaí warned of “zero tolerance” for roadblocks and protests, amid a threat of new fuel protests.

Behind the scenes, a late-night deal with the public sector union averted a Statewide strike on the eve of the summit, and a long-running dispute involving legal-aid lawyers was also resolved. The Office of Public Works was a key partner in preparing the Convention Centre Dublin.

The traffic restrictions caused disruption across the city all week, and some commuters and businesses criticised the impact. On Friday, the informal European Council discussed energy costs and an “affordable future for Europe”, and the Taoiseach hosted a dinner for the leaders.