On Tuesday 30 January, the Irish Ambassador to Luxembourg, Ms Jean McDonald, and the Türkiye Ambassador to Luxembourg, Mr Engin Yürür, both made an introductory visit to the Secretariats of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) and the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR). They each met Mr Stefano Dominioni, Executive Secretary of the EPA, Ambassador Jean Claude Kugener, President of the EICR, and the staff of the EPA and the EICR. 

Each of the two visits was an opportunity to discuss the evolution of the Programme in their respective countries, in particular the recent developments of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes through Türkiye and Ireland, the active participation of Türkiye in the Governing Board and Statutory Committee of the EPA as well as the potential accession of Ireland to the EPA. 

Mr. Onur GÖZET, Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Promotion, Ministry of Tourism of Türkiye, and Ms. Meltem ÖNHON, Vice-President of the EPA Bureau, are Türkiye's national representatives to the EPA on Cultural Routes. Türkiye is a Member State of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe since 2018. There are currently 9 certified Cultural Routes crossing  the country.

Ireland was granted Observer status with the EPA for 2019 and is crossed by 4 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.