180. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance If he had a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Finance Minister at the most recent G20 meeting in the Unites States. [66271/26]

Ireland enjoys a deep and wide-ranging bilateral relationship with Japan, owing from cultural and people-to-people ties, our economic and trade relationship, and our cooperation on global affairs across an array of fora and channels including the G20 and the OECD.

I participated in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina from August 31st - September 1st, as part of my role as President of ECOFIN during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU.

While I did not have the opportunity to have a formal bilateral engagement with Japan's current Finance Minister, Ms. Satsuki Katayama, in Asheville, I was pleased to participate with her in several sessions on issues of common economic priority.

Officials in my Department enjoy a positive working relationship with the Embassy of Japan in Ireland and I look forward to continuing to support this important bilateral partnership in the future.