Simon Harris to meet Joe Biden at White House

Irish premier Simon Harris is to meet President Joe Biden in the White House on Wednesday.

The visit comes as part of a series of events in Washington DC to mark 100 years of Irish-US diplomatic relations.

The US was the first country to recognise and establish diplomatic relations with the Irish Free State in 1924.

Mr Harris will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Biden where the two leaders are expected to discuss areas of co-operation as well as global issues including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Taoiseach’s schedule includes a range of other political and cultural events.

Mr Harris will speak at a special event at Georgetown University where he will also meet the US Congress’s Friends of Ireland caucus and USAID administrator Samantha Power.

Mr Harris said: “The US was the first country to recognise Ireland. The centenary of that moment comes at a very troubling time in the world.

“I expect that, in our discussions, President Biden and I will reflect on where the US and Ireland can do more to work together, based on shared values, to tackle the many challenges we face, including the desperate situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East.

“We urgently need to see a return to a diplomatic and political path aimed at facilitating durable solutions that can bring peace and security to all the people of the region.”

“I am looking forward to marking the centenary of the relationship between the US and Ireland through my discussion with President Biden and at an event at Georgetown University.

“It is a unique and special relationship that is renewed and strengthened with each generation.

“In reflecting on what we have achieved together, I will be using my visit to thank the US for its abiding commitment to peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland, and to celebrate the economic ties that see investment flow between us, contributing to jobs, opportunities and prosperity in each other’s country.”

The trip suffered a setback late on Monday when it was announced that a significant part of the schedule had been called off.

While Mr Harris will still attend the Oval Office, a reception for invited guests at the Rose Garden has been “postponed” due to an incoming hurricane.

Hurricane Milton has strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it heads towards a possible landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach said: “The President asked that they would proceed as planned at the Oval Office on Wednesday but, given the grave threat posed in the United States by Hurricane Milton, they would postpone the reception in the Rose Garden until a later date.“

Mr Biden and Mr Harris were originally scheduled to speak at the Rose Garden event.

It was also billed as an opportunity to “reflect on President Biden’s career-long friendship with Ireland”.

Mr Biden has spoken affectionately about his Irish heritage across his political career.

He was warmly welcomed to Ireland in 2023 for a visit which included retracing some of his ancestral roots in Co Louth and Co Mayo. He received a standing ovation as he addressed the Irish Parliament in Dublin.

The Democrats’ election candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to be on the campaign trail for the duration of the Taoiseach’s visit.