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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelenskyy has invited Taoiseach Micheál Martin to visit Ukraine.
The two leaders spoke ahead of a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday where EU leaders are due to discuss the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Ukraine candidacy status.
Martin said he was “delighted” to speak with Zelenskyy and confirm Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s EU membership.
“We are, and will be, with Ukraine every step of the way,” he said.
The Taoiseach has advocated for fast-tracked membership of the EU for Ukraine and has used Ireland as an example of how a country can develop through EU membership.
Zelenskyy thanked Ireland for its “active support of Ukraine’s European aspirations” and the status of a candidate for EU membership.
He added that he invited Martin “to make the first visit to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations.”
Zelenskyy has spoken to several EU leaders today ahead of the summit – including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he also invited to visit Ukraine.
Ukraine is in the early stages of applying to join the EU after requesting to apply for membership a week after Russia invaded the country.
The European Commission delivered its proposal to award Ukraine candidate status after a fast-tracked analysis of answers to an EU-membership questionnaire.
Despite the European Commission’s endorsement, it is likely to take years or even decades to lead to EU membership for Ukraine.
Martin said previously that the process to apply to join the EU is “complex and challenging”.
“It requires considerable work on the part of the country looking to join.
“Ireland is ready to walk every step of that journey with Ukraine, providing whatever support and encouragement we can along the way.”
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You can get some dodgy fifty euro notes in the south. This is old news, to me anyhow.
You are dead right Paul. You earn the money you decide how to spend it. If I lived closer to the border I would definitely shop north. The biggest reason for higher prices here is “rip off”. And to all the red thumb merchants. B******s.
Dead right, I buy Irish goods from Irish suppliers and English goods from English suppliers. Why should I buy English goods at inflated prices from an Irish middle man? Only exception I make is on the rare occasion when I have bought Irish goods in England cheaper than in Ireland. Now that’s wrong pricing somewhere surely! Source of origin on food labels is misleading and almost impossible to ascertain. For instance a food product can be imported from abroad and repackaged with a local suppliers ID labelling, so the country of origin is lost to the consumer.
Why tell them that? They are worse than the TD’s stealing from the people. People who shop in the north should go live up there and earn their living up there. If they ever need an ambulance , fire brigade, police, etc go and call the services up north as that is what you are doing by shopping up there. If you want to keep the few people who have jobs in work in the south ie your neighbour or family member than stay and pay a little towards their employment. Dare I suggest you reduce your purchases by 10% in the south and everybody would be better off. When I see the fat people from the south pushing trolled in the stores up north I think they could do with a lot less shopping.
I go up north and do some shopping. I did it last weekend actually! I spent 170 euro on beer, and a net book. Everything else was more or less the same price or cheaper down south. But I didn’t go up north to save money ( although I did ) I went up for the day out. I can’t afford holidays anywhere. I stay at my house for my holidays. I work and have practically zero left ( some months less than zero left) each month. I pay way more than my fair share of taxes and I am entitled to spend 175 euro while I am on my ( holidays).
I assume that you holiday at home, buy only Irish products every week?
Don’t judge me, you don’t know me! Besides, I believe in a United Ireland. Our government has cross border trade and governmental institutions set up. If our government says by it’s actions that it is ok then it’s ok by me. And another thing, the majority of the civil construction tenders are awarded by our government departments to northern construction companies because of price, so cop on and grow up.
I use PayPal for everything
Interesting that you judge me – I may be disabled for all you know! Construction workers are loosing jobs to northern contractors you say – I rest my case. When you are directly impacted it is wrong yet when our retailers and producers are impacted it is not a concern to you. It makes the case for the government shopping up north for cheaper contractors. I think it is wrong yet I am on my own on this I think.
We have plenty of fake banknotes down here. They are called “euros”.
Just use a credit card for shopping And pay it off in full, easiet way.
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