Taoiseach Enda Kenny emphasised Ireland’s campaign to make legacy bank debt more sustainable in separate meetings with the Norwegian and Danish prime ministers at the margins of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo yesterday.
Mr Kenny held a half-hour meeting with the Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, who also hosted a lunch for all the European Union leaders, and he also met Hella Thoming-Schmidt, the Danish prime minister.
A spokesman for Mr Kenny said that both meetings had been productive.
He said Mr Kenny and Mr Stoltenberg had discussed the respective challenges facing each of their economies, although Norway’s economy, backed up by extensive natural resources, was different to Ireland’s.
“The Taoiseach outlined the difficulties that Ireland has faced, the sacrifices that have been made and the progress the Government has made.
“He also set out the priorities of Ireland during its presidency of the EU [its six-month period begins in January] and the stability and jobs and growth agenda.” He said that a further meeting between Mr Kenny and his Norwegian counterpart would be held in either January or February.
The meeting with Ms Schmidt was slightly different in theme as Denmark is Ireland’s immediate predecessor as president and the discussion centred on continuing some of the themes such as cost-effectiveness.
The spokesman said Mr Kenny always makes a point of outlining Ireland’s situation and what the Government has done to tackle the banking and economic crisis.
