Majority leaders from across the United States have travelled to Dublin to re-affirm their support for the Good Friday Agreement.
As the Irish Examiner reports, the launch of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus took place on Monday in Dublin's Mansion House.
State Senate Presidents and Majority leaders from across the US attended the event, with Carol Murphy, the majority leader of the New Jersey Assembly, saying it was a "great way to continue to strengthen the links between Ireland and the US and to continue to support Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement and the Peace Process."
The core aim of the caucus is to promote economic and political links between America and Ireland, with support for the Good Friday Agreement at the heart of the group's principles, according to a statement.
Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Mark Daly, who has assisted in the establishment of the new caucuses this year, told the group that there is a need to ensure Ireland's message should be shared and explained to a wider audience outside the traditional Irish-American bases of Boston, New York and the north-east.
Delighted to speak today at the American Irish State Legislators Caucus in my role as co-ordinator of the Ireland USA Parliamentary Friendship Group 🇮🇪🤝🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/4lkT67qo0h
Advertisement— Emer Higgins TD (@EmerHigginsTD) October 11, 2021
"As the American Irish State Legislature Caucus is open to those who have no Irish heritage it would mean that those who may not have Irish ancestry and who transition from state politics to national politics in the US would be engaged and informed on the issues of mutual interest to the US and Ireland and of course the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process."
The event comes as the largest ever gathering of American Irish Legislators in 100 years is planned for the National Conference of State Legislatures Summit in the US next month.
Meanwhile, Simon Coveney said Westminister created a new “red line” barrier to progress that it knows the European Union cannot move on in Brexit negotiations.
Mr Coveney said a proposal has been worked on “for weeks” from the EU side which will be presented to the UK on Wednesday.
