UK Government to promote Northern Ireland economy during US St Patrick's Day events
Hilary Benn will lead a UK government delegation to the United States for St Patrick’s Day events this year, in which ministers will promote Northern Ireland’s economy and update Washington on legacy legislation.
The Secretary of State and NIO minister Matthew Patrick will both travel across the Atlantic this week, as part of the annual festivities.
The government says the visits are “an opportunity to underline the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States, promote economic growth, and update the US administration on legislation relating to the legacy of the Troubles”.
Mr Benn is bound for Washington D.C. where he will participate in the annual St. Patrick’s Day events.
During his visit, he will promote NI as a fantastic place to invest, work and live” as he meets the Trump’s administration and others. He will also update US interlocutors on the range of key issues, including the Joint Framework on legacy and the UK Government’s Troubles Bill.
Mr Benn, said: “I am greatly looking forward to representing the UK Government in Washington this week for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
“I will be meeting with US counterparts, promoting Northern Ireland as a great place to invest and do business, and building on the UK’s long-standing and strong relationship with the United States.”
Mr Patrick will travel separately to Boston on “a number of tech related engagements”. He will meet Invest NI and tech businesses such as Rapid7 and aPriori who are based in both NI and Boston. The government says NI already attracts world-leading firms in cyber security, tech and innovation - and the visit is about “deepening those relationships and exploring what more can be done”.
On St Patrick’s Day, the Minister will be a keynote speaker at an Evacuation Day event which marks the 250th anniversary of the final evacuation of British troops from Boston.
Minister Patrick said: “This visit to Boston is an important opportunity to showcase what Northern Ireland has to offer to US investors.
“Northern Ireland is bursting with creativity and talent…. I'll be making the case that NI is open for business and encouraging US companies to invest here”.