UK Foreign Secretary Miliband to attend EU foreign ministers' meeting in Ireland

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LONDON — U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is to attend a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland as he pushes for closer ties with Europe.

The attendance by Britain’s top diplomat at the summit, which runs Tuesday and Wednesday, is the latest sign that Miliband wants to prioritize relations with Britain’s European neighbors.

The Foreign Office said last month that Miliband would play a leading role in relations with the EU — an exercise which in previous administrations has been run out of Downing Street or overseen by separate departments.

“Working closely with our European neighbours will make Britain a wealthier, safer country- that is why I am putting the European relationship at the heart of my agenda as Foreign Secretary,” Miliband said ahead of the meeting, which will take place in Wicklow in Ireland.

The foreign secretary is set to hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with his EU counterpart Kaja Kallas and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

He is also due to meet his Irish counterpart Helen McEntree, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha — the latter two also attending the meeting as guests.

Ahead of the meeting the Foreign Office said the discussions would focus on deepening U.K. cooperation with European and international partners, as well as supporting Ukraine.

He is expected to announce new British funding to support reconstruction in the invasion-hit country, as well as measures to allow British companies to participate in rebuilding efforts there.

Ministers will also discuss wider challenges facing the continent such as climate pressures — following the hottest summer on record in the U.K.

The so-called “Gymnich” meeting is meant to be a more informal setting than most EU summits so leaders can speak candidly without officials.

The format is named after the German castle Schloss Gymnich which hosted the first such meeting in 1974.