Ireland’s Strategy for the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa Strategy is a further stage of the Government’s 2018 Global Ireland initiative.

The Strategy aims to ensure that Ireland’s commitment to delivering in the Middle East and North Africa continues to be guided by our core principles, interests and values. It is designed to provide a strong framework to deepen Ireland’s bilateral and multilateral engagement with countries in the region. Its implementation will further demonstrate that commitment and will make a contribution to a stable, peaceful and prosperous region.

The Middle East and North Africa region faces very significant challenges, especially at present. However while we work towards peace and security for all in the region, our enhanced, and structured engagement is vitally important to maximise our contribution, particularly in relation to the environmental, demographic and economic challenges. This approach will also add to our efforts to promote peace and security, economic prosperity and human dignity, including universally agreed human rights standards.

Building on our longstanding commitment to the region, Ireland has reopened its Embassy in Iran and opened new embassies in Jordan and in Morocco, since the launch of Global Ireland 2025 in 2018.

Integrated within this Strategy is the development of trade and investment connections between Ireland and the region, which is an important market for exports of Irish goods and services.

Read the strategy in English or Irish