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A NUMBER of important events took place recently that show how Irish interests are increasingly bound up in the international, indeed global, environment.

Last Thursday, G20 countries met in Pittsburg, USA, to discuss the global economy and financial markets. Ireland contributes to this gathering through our membership of the European Union, which has adopted a common stance on the key issues. Indeed, just one week before the Pittsburg summit, I and my fellow European heads of state and government met to agree a coherent, united position.

Earlier last week, I attended the United Nations summit in New York, which UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon had convened in pursuit of global political momentum ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit on tackling climate change, in...