(L-R) Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation & Humanitarian Affairs; Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development & the Diaspora of Ireland;
Credit: Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026
On Friday 9 October 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade reported on Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel’s attendance at the informal meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in its Development configuration, in Dublin on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 October.
According to the ministry, the ministers met under the Irish Presidency to discuss the future of development cooperation. They were joined for part of the discussions by their counterparts from Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Deputy Prime Minister Bettel emphasised the importance of defending international humanitarian law, which is increasingly under threat, amid a worrying rise in the number of humanitarian workers killed in recent years. He stressed the need to combat impunity and defend the United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on the ground.
Development cooperation should be regarded as an investment in future generations rather than an expense. Minister Bettel highlighted the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy as a relevant instrument for the EU’s external action, while reiterating that eradicating poverty and promoting human rights and democracy must remain the primary objectives of development cooperation.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining a dialogue on human rights with partner countries to prevent any backsliding in human rights, minority protection and the rule of law.
