The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is on a week-long visit to the United States, meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington.
Varadkar began his trip by exploring Ireland’s economic and cultural connections to Boston. He met with Joe Kennedy III, the grandnephew of former US President John F Kennedy, before heading to the nation’s capital.
During a speech at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Kennedy named the senior US official responsible for promoting economic development in Northern Ireland in December 2021, lauded Varadkar.
Kennedy told a story in his address about how his kid mispronounced Varadkar’s name as “Leo the Radical” and praised Varadkar for his revolutionary leadership in Ireland, especially during the constitutional referendums on marriage equality and abortion.
He described Varadkar as an extraordinary force in challenging traditional Irish values and praised the changes ushered under his leadership to transform Ireland’s global perception.
Kennedy praised Varadkar for navigating difficult political circumstances to create a new path for Ireland. He expressed gratitude for Varadkar’s contribution to promoting tolerance and fostering peace and prosperity on the island. Before this, Kennedy welcomed Varadkar to the President’s Room of the library, where he displayed memorabilia related to President Kennedy’s links to Ireland.
During his visit, Varadkar expressed gratitude to the US for its support and recognized the contributions of the Kennedy political family to the relationship between the two countries.
He particularly emphasized the US’s role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, pledging to thank President Biden for the US’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and the restoration of Northern Ireland’s institutions.
During his speech, Varadkar emphasized the vital role played by the US as a genuine ally of Ireland and recognized the significant financial contributions made by American corporations in Northern Ireland. He commended the area for its exceptional quality of life and standard of living, pointing out that Belfast is the safest city of its size in the UK.
Varadkar also mentioned the Windsor Framework, which was negotiated with the EU following the UK’s exit from the union and provided trade advantages to Northern Ireland.
Reflecting on his role as economic envoy to Northern Ireland, Kennedy expressed pleasure in getting to know the region and emphasized the progress made in Northern Ireland, often overlooked in discussions of its history.
He highlighted nearly 250 American companies employing over 30,000 people in Northern Ireland, contributing to its economic growth and stability.
