Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called on Europe to develop a stronger common foreign policy.
Speaking at a panel debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Taoiseach said: "I think that Europe needs to really be able to have a common foreign policy in particular, and act in the world.
"To be a force for good in the world... on economic development, international development, climate change."
Asked by the World Economic Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab on his vision for Europe over the next five to ten years, Mr Varadkar said Europe should move from being an economic power to having a stronger political influence, due to changes in US and Chinese policy.
He told the audience: "America has decided to move away from its former role in world leadership regrettably, at least for now. China is becoming ever stronger, which isn't necessarily a bad thing."
The World Economic Forum is the annual meeting of global political and business leaders.
Earlier, the Taoiseach defended Ireland's corporate tax regime and the Government's opposition to moves at EU level to have a special tax covering global digital corporations.
"Companies should pay their taxes, should pay the taxes they owe, should pay them in full, should pay them where they are owed," he said.
"The best way we can respond to the changes in the way the world economy is developed is to agree these things at an international level at the OECD.
"We've never taken more money in from corporation tax than ever in our history. Part of the cause of that is because we have closed down things like the double Irish. We no longer tolerate stateless corporations.
"We're forever closing loopholes that exist in our tax system, and we do that through the OECD and the BEPS process.
"Our objection to a digital tax... sales tax, like VAT, falls where sales happen. Profit taxes are applied where profits are made. What was proposed in the digital tax... was effectively a levy on turnover. You wouldn't apply that to car manufacturers, you wouldn't apply that to apply to aviation manufacturers.
"The principles have to be where the value is created, not where there is turnover."
The Taoiseach was joined by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the EU's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and the Executive Chairperson of Santander Ana Botin.
