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Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has spoken with US president-elect Joe Biden by phone this afternoon.<\/p>\nTaoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has spoken with US president-elect Joe Biden by phone this afternoon.<\/p>\n
In what was described as a “warm conversation,” Mr Biden recalled his strong Irish roots and his visit to Ireland with his family in 2016.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin congratulated Mr Biden and Kamala Harris on their “remarkable” election victory, while the US president-elect reaffirmed his full support for the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said he also invited Mr Biden and his wife Jill Biden “to come back to Ireland when we will properly mark their success”.<\/p>\n
“They discussed the importance of a Brexit outcome that respects the Good Friday Agreement and ensures no return of a border on the island of Ireland,” a Government statement said of the call.<\/p>\n
“They looked forward to working together bilaterally and across a range of international areas including EU-US relations, the UN – including the Security Council – and on the important global challenges of Covid-19, economic recovery and climate change.”<\/p>\n
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Martin posted a swiftly deleted tweet saying he had spoken to Mr Biden.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin wrote: \u201cJust finished a very positive call with US President Elect @JoeBiden.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call would be among the first the US president-elect has had with world leaders, following one on Monday Mr Biden had with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.<\/p>\n
Earlier this afternoon, a Government source said a phone call was being arranged between Mr Martin and Mr Biden but it had not yet happened. The source said the tweet was sent in error.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the D\u00e1il this afternoon, Mr Martin said the Irish Government was \u201cparticularly pleased\u201d that Mr Biden had \u201cwon the confidence of the American people\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fair to say I think the most Irish of Irish presidents since John F Kennedy,\u201d he said of Mr Biden.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald said Mr Biden\u2019s election was \u201cgood for Ireland in many ways\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms McDonald told the D\u00e1il: \u201cHe is as we know proud of his Irish roots and without doubt a long-standing friend of Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the presidential election campaign and indeed throughout his time in office he has acted to promote and protect peace, progress and the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe comes to the office of president at a time of threat from the British Government with Brexit and their refusal to honor agreements looming large.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe election of Joe Biden has the potential to reshape the nature of the Brexit negotiation particularly with regards to the aggressive and arrogant approach taken by the Tory Government and Boris Johnson to Irish interests,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cCentral to this game-playing has been Mr Johnson\u2019s dangerous Internal Markets Bill,\u201d Ms McDonald said of the controversial legislation that would see the UK government set aside key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement signed with the European Union, breaking an international treaty.<\/p>\n
It comes as UK prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had spoken with Mr Biden in a Twitter post.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look forward to strengthening the partnership between our countries and to working with him on our shared priorities \u2013 from tackling climate change, to promoting democracy and building back better from the pandemic,\u201d Mr Johnson said.<\/p>\n