5. Debate on the 'Wales' future relationship with the Committee of the Regions' Report

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:55 pm on 20 February 2019.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 3:55, 20 February 2019

Diolch yn fawr iawn. I know that time is short. Thank you to Mick Antoniw for introducing our report and for putting forward eloquently the discussions that we've had and the conclusions that we've come to in relation to the work that we have sought to do in the limited capacity that we've had in relation to our representation on the Committee of the Regions. I welcome everybody's contributions here today, especially the recognition of the fact that, in whatever guise it is, we need to continue working with the European Union but also work with other countries on a worldwide basis to show that Wales is truly an internationalist community of communities. 

I would take issue with one thing that Darren Millar did say in terms of our potential to work with Europe. Yes, we can work in different ways and different networks, but we have a formal relationship now. We are formal members and we have that capacity, as I did two weeks ago, to stand up in the Senedd in Brussels and speak and tell people what we are doing here in Wales to promote our nation, to promote our values. We simply won't have that opportunity under more informal structures, but I appreciate that that will have to happen. It's how we do that when we won't have those same very privileged structures that we've had. I make the analogy of how we've been able to network, how we've been able to bring nuggets of ideas back into this institution, back to benefit Wales, and how we will have to find new ways of doing that. [Interruption.]—I haven't got time. I've literally not got time. We can continue these discussions afterwards.

In relation to what the Minister has said about one member of any joint commission, I would be urging her to consider more than one. What's been good is having a diversity of opinion of myself and Mick Antoniw. We have similar thoughts but we may differ on other things. I think having that diversity of opinion on an international or European level is something to be promoted and supported, and perhaps even more important post Brexit so that we can have a strength of representation on that level. You mentioned that the First Minister is seeking a meeting with the president of the Committee of the Regions. I would urge you to tell us, as soon as that seeking process is over, that you're having that meeting, because when we were in Brussels recently there was an absolute urgency to ensure that processes are in place post March. I can't underestimate how valuable it has been, even though I've only been to a few meetings, to be able to engage positively. 

After I spoke in the European Parliament two weeks ago, I had a Google Translate conversation on my phone with an Italian Minister. My Italian is non-existent and his English or Welsh is non-existent, and he said, 'We didn't leave the EU, you chose to leave the EU', and I said, 'We want to still continue working with you and keep the doors open.' I think that's the message we all have to have here today: moving on, we want to keep that door open, we want to engage. This report that we've brought to you today is important to ensure that we find different ways to engage positively and that we work not only calling on Welsh Government, but that the National Assembly for Wales as an institution has its own ways of engaging so that we can become strong in the world as a nation in our own right as well. Diolch yn fawr iawn to everybody for contributing.