Alan Kelly
Question:406. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on any engagement he has had with the United States of America. [35058/20]
View answerTuesday, 10 November 2020
Questions (406)
Written answers
Ireland and the United States enjoy close political, economic and people-to-people relations. This Government engages regularly with the US Administration and with US elected representatives from across Congress. This engagement extends to our contacts from across the political spectrum at federal, state, city and local levels.
In September, as the House will be aware, I travelled to the US for a series of engagements in Washington D.C. This included meetings with representatives from the Administration, as well as with members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, from the House of Representatives and the Senate. The visit came at an important time for both Ireland and the United States and reinforced the commitment this Government has made to strengthening both our bilateral relationship and wider transatlantic relations. It also offered a valuable opportunity to discuss key priorities including Brexit, Northern Ireland and our upcoming tenure on the UN Security Council.
In addition to political engagements, I also met with members of the US Chamber of Commerce to reiterate the strength and mutual benefits of our economic relationship with the United States. This will be more important than ever as both countries look towards recovery following the global pandemic.
Over the past few months, I have also spoken with the US Ambassador to Ireland, Edward Crawford, as part of our regular dialogue. Prior to my trip to Washington D.C. in September, I met in Dublin with US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney, with whom our Embassy in Washington D.C. is also in regular contact.
Ireland has always maintained close relations with the US and will continue to do so, including through our Embassy in Washington D.C., our other diplomatic Missions across the United States and through the US Embassy in Dublin.