Friday 22 June 2012
Chief Minister Peter Harwood and Deputy Chief Minister Jon Le Tocq today represented Guernsey at the British-Irish Council (BIC) summit in Scotland.
The meeting, held in Stirling Castle, was the 18th summit meeting held since the Council was established under the 1998 Multi-Party Agreement to further promote positive, practical relationships among the people of the islands; and to provide a forum for consultation and co-operation between the member administrations of the UK and Ireland, the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; and the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man.
The summit was an opportunity for the Council to focus on the effectiveness of programmes and policies to support youth employment, and the policies and activities underway to support the development and deployment of marine energy technologies. The official summit communique is available via the link at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Harwood said the summit was a useful opportunity for Guernsey to build its relationships with the member administrations of the BIC; to promote the islands' interests and expertise on important issues such as renewable energy; and to exchange best practice on dealing with issues common to the jurisdictions across the Council.
The Scottish Government organised the summit. Heads of delegations were welcomed by the First Minister Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP. The Irish Government was led by An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny TD. The UK Government was led by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt. Hon Michael Moore MP. The Welsh Government was led by the First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM. The Northern Ireland Executive delegation was led by the First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MLA, and the deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness MP MLA. The Government of Jersey delegation was led by the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst. The Government of Guernsey delegation was led by Chief Minister, Deputy Peter Harwood and the Isle of Man Government delegation was led by Chief Minister, Hon. Allan Bell MHK.
[Pictured L-R: Deputy Chief Minister Jon Le Tocq, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond MSP, and Chief Minister Peter Harwood, at Stirling Castle for the British-Irish Council summit on 22 June 2012]
Contact information:
Philip Henderson
External Affairs Officer
Tel: 01481 717131
Email: philip.henderson@gov.gg