An opportune visit
The annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington conveniently came on the back of the devolution of policing and justice thus giving the province’s leaders a bargaining mechanism to entice prospective US investors. Meadhbh Monahan reports.
“Everyone who is anyone” in the Northern Ireland political and economic scene received a warm welcome at the White House on St Patrick’s Day, despite President Barack Obama’s preoccupation with getting his health reform bill passed by Congress.
During a hectic week in the President’s calendar, Obama took time to meet the First and Deputy First Minister as well as Taoiseach Brian Cowen, in keeping with tradition.
Green was obviously the colour of choice with the White House fountains, the traditional gift of a bowl of shamrocks from the Taoiseach to Obama, and even Peter Robinson’s tie, sporting various hues.
Secretary of State Shaun Woodward made the observation about the large troupe of politicians and officials which included: William Hay; Chief Constable Matt Baggott; Civil Service Head Bruce Robinson; the Conservatives’ Owen Paterson; and Queen’s Vice-Chancellor Peter Gregson.
They were joined by Margaret Ritchie, Reg Empey, Danny Kennedy, Basil McCrea, Arlene Foster, Naomi Long and Dawn Purvis. Gerry Adams was also present. He met members of Congress, hosted by the Chair of the Friends of Ireland Committee, where he discussed the un-documented Irish. Adams came under fire from Alliance leader David Ford, who questioned Sinn Féin’s inclusiveness, when he discovered that Adams spoke at an all men’s club and participated in a parade in Boston, where homosexuals were excluded.
A glitch occurred when Margaret Ritchie voiced her upset that she and Empey were not invited into a meeting in the Oval Office between Obama, Robinson and McGuinness, but she met the President as part of the Irish Government delegation.
During their meeting with Obama, Robinson and McGuinness spoke about the transfer of policing and justice powers, an outcome which the President endorsed. They also lobbied for further support for the International Fund for Ireland.
The pair hosted a business reception in Chicago which was attended by over 200 of the city’s top business people. McGuinness commented: “This is our first opportunity to brief investors and political leaders here in relation to the Hillsborough Agreement which will strengthen our institutions and greatly increase the potential for future investment.”
At that meeting, Declan Kelly announced that an economic conference will be held in Washington in the autumn, hosted by Hillary Clinton and focusing on attracting investment to Northern Ireland.
The annual March 17 breakfast, hosted by the Northern Ireland Bureau, the Stormont Executive’s official presence in Washington was another highlight of the trip. It was attended by 350 key decision-makers in industry, business and tourism.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster told the gathered diners that Northern Ireland is a “hip, historical and happening” tourist destination. In addition she announced a new inward investment project whereby Q1 Labs Ltd, a global developer of security intelligence solutions headquartered in the US, will establish its European, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Belfast, creating 50 high quality jobs.
A business briefing called ‘From Science to Society: A Northern Ireland showcase in cancer genomics and personalised medicine’ also made a good impression on potential US investors.
Speaking at the Friends of Ireland luncheon at Congress, Obama pledged that America will remain “as supportive as possible in advancing the Northern Ireland peace process”.
He also thanked Robinson and McGuinness for “their outstanding leadership [and] their continuing example.”
“The work of setting aside old differences and softening hardened positions, taking the tough steps to do what’s right in the long run over what’s easy in the moment has also paid dividends in terms of the remarkable progress that we’ve seen in Northern Ireland, particularly in recent months,” Obama said.
“It is such leadership that keeps me convinced that our best days – for this legislative body, for this nation, for Ireland, and for Northern Ireland, and for the friendship between our peoples – those best days are still ahead.”
He would not confirm whether he would visit Ireland but thanked the Taoiseach for his invitation and concluded: “To you and to the people of Ireland, America is grateful for our shared past, hopeful for our common future, and I assure you we will be a faithful partner in the work of progress and prosperity, and a just a lasting peace.”
