The two leaders spoke briefly to reporters before the meeting and And Biden renewed his support for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which started the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. The US President had previously indicated his desire to visit Ireland and Northern Ireland on the anniversary of the signing of the agreement next April.
At the end of February, the European Commission and the United Kingdom reached a political agreement in principle on the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit Agreement, which regulates trade issues after Great Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Biden affirmed his strong support for the so-called Windsor Framework Agreement. Varadkar thanked the United States for supporting Ireland’s position on Brexit. As he said, that support was crucial.
Biden also said he wanted to discuss deepening economic ties with his Irish negotiator, whose visit to the United States coincides with St. Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of the Irish, which is also held in the United States.
Joe Biden himself is Catholic with Irish ancestry, and his chosen codename used by the Secret Service is Celtic.
