NICOLA Sturgeon will meet with political leaders from across the UK and Ireland to discuss how to deal with “shared issues” such as Brexit and tackling drug abuse at a meeting in Dublin.
The British-Irish Council (BIC) summit, the first of which was held 20 years ago, will be attended by senior figures from the UK and devolved governments, along with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
As well as taking part in the summit, Sturgeon will hold bilateral talks with both Varadkar and Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford.
Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith will represent the UK Government at the event. Representatives from the Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey will also be in Dublin for the summit.
While today’s talks will focus on the impact of Brexit, another key topic will be tackling the misuse of drugs.
Sturgeon said it will be “extremely beneficial” for her administration to find out more about the approach adopted in Ireland.
Scottish public health minister Joe Fitzpatrick will travel to Dublin with the First Minister, and will visit a health hub in the city which provides help and support for people dealing with substance abuse.
Sturgeon, who will also be joined by Scottish Constitutional Relations Secretary Michael Russell for the trip, said: “The British-Irish Council has always played a significant role in intergovernmental relations but never more so than now against the backdrop of the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit.”
She also said the summit will “provide an opportunity to discuss the best way to tackle shared issues which affect all member administrations, this time focusing on how we deal with substance misuse and reduce the serious harm caused by drugs”.
The First Minister continued: “The approach the Irish government is taking to tackle drug misuse, which tailors treatment around the individual, is something we are already progressing in Scotland but it will be incredibly beneficial to learn from their first-hand experience as we take this work forward.”
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