Biden to host Irish Taoiseach for St. Patrick’s Day

By Betsy Klein, CNN

President Joe Biden will host Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the White House Friday, resuming a longstanding St. Patrick’s Day tradition, the White House announced Tuesday.

Biden and Varadkar will participate in a bilateral meeting and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and Varadkar and his partner Matthew Barrett will also attend the annual breakfast at the Naval Observatory with Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Last year, then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin tested positive for Covid-19 during a visit to Washington ahead of a planned meeting with Biden, which was canceled. And in 2021, Biden and Martin celebrated virtually amid the pandemic. Varadkar, who served as Taoiseach, or prime minister, from 2017 to 2020, returned to the role in December.

The leaders, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby told reporters, “will reaffirm the close and historic partnership between the United States and Ireland and the extraordinary bonds between our two people.”

They will also discuss support for Ukraine, Kirby said, and “reaffirm their steadfast support for the Belfast Good Friday Agreement as we approach its 25th anniversary.”

Biden confirmed Monday that he intends to visit Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

“It’s my intention to go to Northern Ireland and the Republic,” he said.

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