Taoiseach begins three day Washington trip honouring 25 years of Good Friday Agreement

Today marks the first day of Leo Varadkar's trip to the US, where he will resume the tradition of meeting with the president on St. Patrick's day.

The three day trip begins with a series of business meetings and scientific events, which seek to promote exports to the nation. Tonight, the Taoiseach will give an address to the annual Ireland Funds Gala dinner.

Tomorrow, Varadkar will join former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at an event at Georgetown University titled: ‘Women at the Helm: The Unfinished Business of the Good Friday Agreement,' commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and the role women played in attaining it. The conference will also look into the unfinished nature of the conflict and deliberate the structure of peace for the next 25 years.

Clinton has been a strong advocate for Northern Ireland over the years, receiving an Honorary Degree from the Queens University in 2018. In 1995, she accompanied her husband Bill Clinton to Belfast, where he became the first serving US president ever to visit the region.

I'll be hosting a conference at @QUBelfast next month to reflect on 25 years of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Civic leaders who have contributed to peace and reconciliation will join @BillClinton and me to take stock of this historic turning point. https://t.co/1Ym6pAkkNj

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 14, 2023

On Friday, Varadkar will meet with President Biden at the Oval Office, where the leaders “will reaffirm the close and historic partnership between the United States and Ireland" stated National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby. The two leaders will also discuss the nation's historic partnership and support for the Good Friday Agreement.

"I am deeply proud of the role the United States has played for decades to help achieve, preserve, and strengthen that peace enshrined in the [Good Friday Agreement]," said Biden in a February press release. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in Northern Ireland, the Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the European Union, to further that peace and prosperity."

Biden also intends to visit the North for the 25th anniversary of the momentous agreement.

Good news that President Biden plans to visit Ireland in the near future. I look forward to discussing the visit during my meeting with the President later this week.

— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 14, 2023