External relations of Guernsey both islands retain their independence with regards to domestic affairs but internationally, the islands would be regarded as one state. A Guernsey-Jersey double taxation agreement was first signed in 1956. In 1998 Guernsey and Jersey electricity companies formed the Channel Islands Electricity Grid to operate and manage the submarine cables between Europe and the Channel Islands. Guernsey has formed part of the British–Irish Council since it was formed in 1999, as does Jersey. Meetings take place twice a year, in 2004, 2010 and 2014 the meetings have taken place in Guernsey. Its stated aim is to "promote the harmonious and
First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland the office during a vacancy; currently for a continuous period up to six weeks. Vacancies have occurred on four occasions to date: In the Irish language, the literal translation of these positions is "Céad-Aire agus an leas Chéad-Aire". The titles appear in both English and Irish in published literature by the North-South Ministerial Council, one of the "mutually inter-dependent" institutions laid out in the Good Friday Agreement, along with the Northern Ireland Assembly. Various ways of translating the titles "First Minister and deputy First Minister" into the Ulster Scots dialects have been attested in official communications, including , , and