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State Visit to Ireland by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Joachim Gauck

Published: Thu 9th Jul, 2015 | 09:26

President Michael D. Higgins is pleased to announce that the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Joachim Gauck and Ms Daniela Schadt have accepted an invitation to visit Ireland from Monday, 13th to Wednesday, 15th July.

On the afternoon of Monday, 13th July, the State Visit will commence with a formal welcome ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin where President Gauck and Ms Daniela Schadt will be greeted by President and Sabina Higgins. Following the formal welcome ceremony a meeting between the Heads of State will take place after which President Higgins will invite President Gauck to plant a tree in the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin.

On the evening of Monday, 13th July, the President and Sabina Higgins will host a State Dinner at Áras an Uachtaráin in honour of President Gauck and Ms Daniela Schadt.

The overall programme for the State Visit builds on the close ties between Ireland and Germany and provides an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations.

This is the second State Visit which President Higgins will host. The first, by the President of the Republic of Mozambique, was in June 2014. Since taking office in November 2011, President Higgins has made two State Visits abroad, the first to Croatia in June 2013 and the second to the UK in April 2014.
The full programme for the State Visit of President Joachim Gauck and Ms Daniela Schadt will be issued later this week.

Former President McAleese made a State Visit to Germany in February 2008. The last State Visit by a German President, H.E. Johannes Rau, to Ireland took place in July 2003.