[caption id="attachment_70574" align="alignright" width="600" caption="Clinton invited to North."]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will likely be heading for Northern Ireland after she was invited to do so last week by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Owen Paterson.
Paterson, after extending the invitation, said Secretary Clinton remained keenly interested in events in Northern Ireland and a further visit could help encourage the growing levels of U.S. investment.
"I have invited her to come to Northern Ireland. After all she has done, I think it would be wonderful to get her to come. We had a really serious meeting. She is really well briefed," said Paterson
Clinton has previously visited the North as First Lady, as a U.S. senator and as U.S. Secretary of State. Given that the speculation is that Clinton might take leave of her current post in the near future, a visit to the North, should it occur, will most likely take place by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and the party's representative to the U.S., Rita O'Hare, also met with Clinton during St. Patrick's Day celebration in the nation's capital.
According to reports, the discussions ranged across the state of the economies north and south, including the severe cuts to the block grant imposed by the British government; the transfer of fiscal powers from London to Belfast, outstanding issues arising from the Good Friday Agreement and the need for greater co-operation and harmonization between the North and the Republic.
"Secretary of State Clinton is very well informed on developments in Ireland and understands the importance of continuing to invest in and manage the peace process.
"I expressed to her my concerns at the failure of the British government to engage properly with the process and in particular its recent cuts to the block grant used to fund the North," said Adams after the meeting.
"This doesn't make sense. The North is coming out of a long period of low investment and conflict. It is vital that citizens, especially those who have been disadvantaged as a result of decades of discrimination and violence, experience a qualitative improvement in their daily lives.
The British government's approach is the opposite of this and despite the commendable efforts of the Executive the recent cuts to the block grant will inevitably have an impact on the provision of public services and investment," Adams said.
