US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has been invited to pay a further visit to Northern Ireland, it emerged today.
Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson extended the invitation after he held talks with Ms Clinton during the week-long events surrounding St Patrick’s Day in the US.
Mr Paterson said Ms Clinton remained keenly interested in events in Northern Ireland and a further visit could help encourage the growing levels of US investment.
He said Ms Clinton and her husband Bill had been important allies of the peace process during their time in the White House and since then had helped build economic ties.
“I have invited her to come to Northern Ireland,” he said.
“After all she has done, I think it would be wonderful to get her to come.” He said Ms Clinton was up to speed on recent political and economic developments.
“We had a really serious meeting. She is really well briefed.” He said she showed a keen interest in the need to build prosperity to cement the gains of the peace process and to help build a shared future.
Ms Clinton has visited Northern Ireland as US first lady, as a senator and in her capacity as US secretary of state.
Mr Paterson said he was also struck by the level of attention shown by US leaders to Irish affairs around St Patrick’s Day.
He attended a major reception at the White House where the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, was also present, and that was preceded by a string of top level meetings with US vice president Joe Biden and other figures from across the American political spectrum.
Mr Paterson said of the St Patrick’s Day events: “I don’t see it has diminished. It is a very good opportunity to explain to people what is going on.”
He said the discussions, which in the past would have been dominated by the peace process, had changed: “Now we are talking about the economy.”
PA