The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris has held meetings with the Governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly, and the Governor of South Dakota, Larry Rhoden, in Government Buildings.
The visits by Governor Kelly and Governor Rhoden coincide with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic game between Kansas State University and Iowa State University in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking after the meetings, the Tánaiste said: “I was delighted to meet this morning with the Governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly and the Governor of South Dakota, Larry Rhoden.
“Ireland’s relationship with the United States is multi-layered and multi-faceted, from the political, to the economic, to the cultural, and while the focus can often be on the country to country relationship, we also attach great importance to our relationships with individual states.
“Since taking up the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, protecting and developing Ireland’s relationship with the US and its constituent states has been one of my top priorities.
“Indicative of our commitment to the relationship, Ireland now has nine diplomatic missions across the US, along with a very strong State agency presence. Engaging with counterparts at state level allows us to reinforce existing ties with states like Kansas and South Dakota, and to explore how we can strengthen them.
“This forms part of the Government’s efforts to protect and to develop our mutually beneficial economic relationships with states such as Kansas and South Dakota, as well as with the United States as a whole.”
