English: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. On 19 November, Friday last, Wales hosted the thirty-sixth summit of the British-Irish Council at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff. The Minister for Education and the Welsh Language and I represented the Welsh Government. We were joined by representatives of all BIC member administrations either in person or via our videoconferencing systems. I welcomed leaders from the UK, Ireland, which was represented by both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. I also held bilateral meetings with Michael Gove, who led the UK delegation, Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Executive delegation - Ministers Deirdre Hargey and Gary Middleton - as well as the newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, Jane Poole-Wilson. The summit took place at a particularly crucial moment for the member administrations of the British-Irish Council, in the context of recovery from the pandemic, continuing discussions between the UK and the EU, and the need for Governments to work together to take action against climate change, following COP26 in Glasgow. Our collective discussions, Dirprwy Lywydd, provided a valuable opportunity to consider latest political developments, to share experiences on tackling common challenges, and to identify ways though which we can harness the combined experience and energy of the Governments to the benefit of all the people across the islands represented. In particular, at an early-morning meeting on Friday before the main summit plenary event, we discussed ways of accelerating the collective contributions that members of the BIC could make in pursuit of the COP26 agenda. The discussion focused on the importance of citizen and community engagement in a just transition to net zero, and work is planned to share research and consider further engagement with coastal, post-industrial and rural communities in this agenda. The formal plenary provided an opportunity to explore different perspectives on the operation of the Northern Ireland protocol and the state of relations between the constituent members of the council and the European Union. In relation to the current position on the negotiations between the UK Government and the EU, I took the opportunity to reinforce the Welsh Government's view of the importance of making progress and resolving issues through dialogue rather than unilateral action or ultimatum.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Ar 19 Tachwedd, dydd Gwener diwethaf, cynhaliodd Cymru uwchgynhadledd Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig rhif tri deg chwech yn Amgueddfa Werin Cymru Sain Ffagan yng Nghaerdydd. Roedd y Gweinidog Addysg a'r Gymraeg a minnau'n cynrychioli Llywodraeth Cymru. Ymunodd cynrychiolwyr o holl weinyddiaethau aelodau'r Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig â ni naill ai'n bersonol neu drwy ein systemau fideogynadledda. Croesawais arweinwyr o'r DU, Iwerddon, a oedd wedi'u cynrychioli gan y Taoiseach a'r Tánaiste, Gogledd Iwerddon, yr Alban, Jersey, Guernsey ac Ynys Manaw. Cynhaliais gyfarfodydd dwyochrog hefyd gyda Michael Gove, a arweiniodd ddirprwyaeth y DU, Nicola Sturgeon, Prif Weinidog yr Alban, a dirprwyaeth Weithredol Gogledd Iwerddon - y Gweinidogion Deirdre Hargey a Gary Middleton - yn ogystal â Dirprwy Brif Weinidog newydd Ynys Manaw, Jane Poole-Wilson. Cafodd yr uwchgynhadledd ei chynnal ar adeg arbennig o hanfodol i aelodau gweinyddiaethau'r Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig, yng nghyd-destun adferiad o'r pandemig, trafodaethau parhaus rhwng y DU a'r UE, a'r angen i Lywodraethau gydweithio i weithredu yn erbyn newid hinsawdd, yn dilyn COP26 yn Glasgow. Rhoddodd ein trafodaethau ar y cyd, Dirprwy Lywydd, gyfle gwerthfawr i ystyried y datblygiadau gwleidyddol diweddaraf, i rannu profiadau o ymdrin â heriau cyffredin, ac i nodi ffyrdd y gallwn ni ddefnyddio profiad ac egni cyfunol y Llywodraethau er budd yr holl bobl ledled yr ynysoedd sy'n cael eu cynrychioli. Yn benodol, mewn cyfarfod bore cynnar ddydd Gwener cyn prif ddigwyddiad cyfarfod llawn yr uwchgynhadledd, gwnaethom ni drafod ffyrdd o gyflymu'r cyfraniadau cyfunol y gallai aelodau'r Cyngor Prydeinig-Gwyddelig eu gwneud wrth fynd ar drywydd agenda COP26. Canolbwyntiodd y drafodaeth ar bwysigrwydd ymgysylltu â dinasyddion a'r gymuned mewn cyfnod pontio teg i sero net, ac mae gwaith wedi'i gynllunio i rannu ymchwil ac ystyried ymgysylltu arall â chymunedau arfordirol, ôl-ddiwydiannol a gwledig ar yr agenda hon. Roedd y cyfarfod ffurfiol llawn yn gyfle i archwilio safbwyntiau gwahanol ar weithredu protocol Gogledd Iwerddon a chyflwr y berthynas rhwng aelodau cyfansoddol y cyngor a'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. O ran y sefyllfa bresennol ynghylch y trafodaethau rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a'r UE, manteisiais ar y cyfle i atgyfnerthu barn Llywodraeth Cymru am bwysigrwydd gwneud cynnydd a datrys materion drwy ddeialog yn hytrach na gweithredu unochrog neu wltimatwm.