The Taoiseach is attending a meeting of world leaders at the Élysée Palace this afternoon.
The event, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, comes ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Mr Harris is attending with his wife Caoimhe.
Taoiseach Simon Harris is attending a meeting of world leaders at the Élysée Palace this afternoon, hosted by French President Emanuel Macron.
— Tommy Meskill (@TommyMeskill) July 26, 2024
Among those he met was British PM Keir Starmer @rtenews pic.twitter.com/r4YTdNyT8l
Meanwhile, the two flag bearers for Team Ireland will be Sarah Lavin and Shane Lowry.
They were officially announced at the Centre Culturel Irlandais.
Here they come… @teamireland flag bearers Sarah Lavin and Shane Lowry @rtesport @rtenews #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/RMopLvY1bv
— Paul O'Flynn (@OFlynnPaul) July 26, 2024
Security around the French capital has been ramped up over the coming hours, with a 150km no fly zone coming into effect and much of the city's public transport being suspended ahead of the opening ceremony.
"We are so proud of the incredible team that we have sent to the Olympic Games"
— Tommy Meskill (@TommyMeskill) July 26, 2024
Taoiseach Simon Harris wished all 133 Team Ireland athletes "all the very best" ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games @rtenews pic.twitter.com/gNtfy328Nz
France aims to wow the world with an extravagant Olympics opening ceremony through the heart of Paris, officially kicking off a Games fraught with security risks at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.
Some 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security staff will ensure the safety of the parade along the river Seine, its banks and surrounding monuments, in an unprecedented display of security.
A procession of barges will take nearly 7,000 athletes along the river past Paris's most famous landmarks, while more than 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks.
Since the last Olympics in Beijing in 2022, wars have erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a tense backdrop to the Games. France is at its highest level of security - though officials have repeatedly said there is no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.
"Everything is ready," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video he posted on X. "Even the (Olympics) rings are there," he said, overlooking the Eiffel tower. "Enjoy the Games!"
Starting at 6.30pm Irish time, the ceremony, which marks the official start of the Paris 2024 Games, will pass by many of the French capital's beloved landmarks, including the Louvre museum and Pont des Arts bridge.
"We're going to take advantage of all the historic monuments around the Seine, and there won't be a single riverbank or bridge that won't be filled with music, dance, or performance," the ceremony's choreographer Maud Le Pladec has said.
It will the first time that an opening ceremony has taken place outside of a stadium.
Details including some of the artists taking part, who will be the last to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the Games, have been kept secret.
The artistic team said they had been rehearsing in private to keep it all under wraps.
One big unknown for the open-air ceremony is the weather. It is currently forecast to be cloudy, while organisers were hoping there would be a "golden hour" of sunset lighting up buildings midway through the ceremony.
More than 10,500 athletes will compete at the Olympics, 100 years since Paris last staged the Games.
Competition started on Wednesday and the first of the 329 gold medals will be awarded tomorrow. The closing ceremony will take place on 11 August.
Additional reporting Reuters
