Taoiseach to discuss Gaza and Ukraine in Trump meeting
Getty ImagesUS President Trump will host the taoiseach (Irish PM) in the White House on Wednesday, as part of the Irish government's traditional St Patrick's Day series of engagements.
Micheál Martin said his visit came "at a moment of great peril for the world".
He said he hoped his discussions would look at how Ireland can work with Trump and his administration "to end conflict and to secure peace, whether in the Middle East or in Ukraine".
The taoiseach will be the first EU leader to return to the Oval Office since the president's bust-up with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Discussions are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including the deep ties between the US and Ireland, shared global challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, as well as the two countries' economic relationship.
EPAThe bilateral meeting comes amid heightened concern over the future of Ireland's economy, which is heavily reliant on US multinationals.
Trump sees this as a trade imbalance and is keen to entice those companies back to the US.
The taoiseach will have to tread carefully as he walks into the Oval Office hours after the EU announced it will impose counter tariffs on €26 billion ($28bn) worth of US goods from next month.
The move is in retaliation to Trump's 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, which came into effect overnight.
However, Martin said he would use his visit to the Oval Office to highlight an "increasingly two-way" trade and investment relationship.
"Ireland is the sixth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the US, supporting hundreds and thousands of jobs across the US," he said.
"This substantial investment underscores the commitment of Irish enterprises to the US market and reflects a deepening economic interdependence between the two countries."
The meeting will also be an opportunity for the taoiseach to update Trump on the situation in Northern Ireland, recognising the huge contribution the US has made to securing peace.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill will not be heading to the White House as she is boycotting the St Patrick's Day festivities there due to Trump's stance on Gaza.
However, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will be at the White House reception on Wednesday and is likely to meet Trump.
The two executive ministers led a delegation to North Carolina earlier in the week alongside representatives from Queen's University Belfast, Invest NI, Catalyst and Software NI.
NI Chamber CEO Suzanne Wylie said the visit was part of a long-term process and they would be inviting a trade mission back to Northern Ireland in the summer from North Carolina.
However, there has been more geopolitical uncertainty this year than last year, including President Trump's introduction of some tariffs.
She said that while there was uncertainty across the globe right now, "businesses really just want to create the relationships and get on with doing business with each other and continue to look for further investment in some of our innovative companies".
Pressure points
Analysis by BBC News NI political editor Enda McClafferty in Washington DC
This will be the tightest of political tightropes for Micheál Martin.
He's got a €50bn (£42bn) tax treasure chest to protect and can't afford any slip ups.
His moment of jeopardy may come when President Trump invites questions from the press.
Pressure points include tariffs and Dublin's perceived anti-Israel bias.
Luckily for the Taoiseach the move towards a ceasefire in Ukraine and the resumption of US military aid may dominate the questions.
Trading relationships and tariffs may be one for another day.