St Patrick's Day: Varadkar meets Biden at White House

President Biden has said helium volition marque a sojourn to the land of Ireland "soon".

He is hosting Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar astatine the White House arsenic portion of events to people St Patrick's Day.

He is besides acceptable to conscionable the leaders of the 5 main Stormont parties aboriginal connected Friday.

However, helium has yet to corroborate if helium volition sojourn Northern Ireland to people the 25th day of the Good Friday Agreement adjacent month.

He ignored astir questions from reporters during a property league successful the Oval Office but erstwhile asked astir a sojourn to Ireland helium said it would hap "soon".

He said that helium reaffirmed his administration's enactment for the Good Friday Agreement.

On Sunday PM Rishi Sunak said helium had extended an invitation to the president to sojourn Northern Ireland to instrumentality portion successful events relating to the bid deal.

Mr Varadkar said helium appreciated the "support and understanding" from the US implicit Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol successful caller years.

Both leaders besides thanked each different for co-operation successful narration to the warfare successful Ukraine.

Traditionally US presidents marque a sojourn to Ireland halfway done a statesmanlike term.

Mr Biden has made overmuch of his Irish roots and it is expected helium volition marque a travel covering Northern Ireland, Dublin and County Mayo, wherever his ancestors are from.

It each followed a acquainted script.

Warm words astir a lukewarm relationship implicit with log occurrence and shamrock bowl.

Then a barrage of questions from 50-plus reporters but not 1 answer.

As we were being rushed retired the Oval Office doorway I tried again.

When are you coming to Ireland Mr President? He smiled and said "soon".

Both leaders were good warned to springiness thing away.

Details of the statesmanlike travel whitethorn look aboriginal oregon possibly not.

Northern Ireland governmental leaders are expected to conscionable Mr Biden aft attending the House Speaker's luncheon connected Capitol Hill.

Senior concern figures from Northern Ireland person besides been invited to be the White House reception.

On Thursday nighttime the taoiseach apologised for an "ill-judged" remark that was seen arsenic a notation to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, made during a code successful the city.

The taoiseach was making an code to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young radical make vocation skills.

He took portion successful the programme successful 2000 and successful his code connected Thursday helium made notation to imaginable interest astir being an intern astatine the clip successful the White House.

After the lawsuit a spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said "the taoiseach was reminiscing astir his clip successful Washington DC arsenic an intern 23 years ago.

"He made an ill-judged disconnected the cuff remark which helium regrets," said the spokesman.

"He apologises for immoderate offence caused to anyone concerned."

There has been speculation for immoderate clip that Mr Biden volition marque a sojourn to Northern Ireland adjacent period to people the 25th day of the Good Friday bid agreement.

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has she hoped that devolved authorities astatine Stormont would beryllium up and moving again by then.

She was speaking aft receiving an honorary doctorate from Ulster University astatine a ceremonial successful Washington.

Last twelvemonth Ms Pelosi warned the UK authorities against undermining the Good Friday Agreement done its actions against the post-Brexit commercialized rules for Northern Ireland.

She had warned that if that happened determination would beryllium nary US-UK commercialized deal.

But past period a woody was struck betwixt the UK and the EU connected trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Ms Pelosi said she "fully supports" that statement - known arsenic the Windsor Framework - and that it opened up the anticipation of a commercialized woody betwixt the US and the UK.

The DUP has been boycotting power-sharing astatine Stormont implicit its absorption to the commercialized arrangements that resulted from the archetypal Brexit deal.