Tánaiste Simon Harris visiting Washington D.C.

Tánaiste Simon Harris is in Washington D.C. for a series of key meetings with political and business figures, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and key Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate.

The Tánaiste arrived in the US last night where he met with economic and business stakeholders. Over the course of today, he will hold several meetings on Capitol Hill to discuss economic, trade and foreign policy priorities. He will also meet with Secretary Lutnick to discuss trade and investment relations, as well as the mutually beneficial US-Ireland economic relationship, which supports over 400,000 jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Tánaiste said: “We are here to keep the lines of communications open with US political and business leaders as well as share insights and engage. During the visit I will be emphasising our desire to find a negotiated solution between the EU and US on tariffs and that I am fully supportive of Commissioner Šefčovič’s work.

“I will make the point that the European Union is ready right now to negotiate. We have a team on standby to travel to D.C. to begin negotiations between the EU and the US to find a way forward.

“In a complex and unpredictable global economic environment, direct bilateral engagement with the United States is one of my priorities. A particular focus of discussions will be the transatlantic economic and trade relationship between Ireland, the EU and the United States. I hope the trip will provide for an opportunity to gain further insight into the administration’s thinking on their next steps.”

In addition to Ireland and the US’s trade and economic relationship, which is crucial to prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, the Tánaiste’s discussions will focus on foreign policy issues, including the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. This is also a crucial time to update US counterparts on the situation in Northern Ireland, including discussions with the British government on Legacy issues and on ending paramilitarism.

The Tánaiste added: “US support has been so significant over many decades in underpinning peace and reconciliation on this island, and remains essential.”