The Foreign Affairs Minister has welcomed news controversial Russian military exercises have been moved further from Ireland.
#Statement by the Ambassador of Russia to Ireland H.E. Yuriy #Filatov pertaining to the planned naval exercises by the Russian #Navy in the Atlantic pic.twitter.com/XCInkgQ5GN
— Russia in Ireland (@Rus_Emb_Ireland) January 29, 2022
Those drills were due to take place inside Ireland's exclusive economic zone, but in international waters next week.
The move caused significant unrest as tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to simmer.
Vladimir Putin's army has built up a force of tens of thousands on its Western border with it's neighbour.
This week I wrote to my counterpart, the Minister of Defence of Russia, to request a reconsideration of naval exercises off the Irish coast. This evening I received a letter confirming the Russian exercises will be relocated outside of Ireland’s EEZ. I welcome this response.
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 29, 2022
The military exercises also angered fishermen in the South West of Ireland as they were fearful for both their working area and the marine life there.
