First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said that she will engage with President Donald Trump on areas that are "in the best interests."
Speaking after attending an event where she and the deputy First Minister were launching a regional change fund to support ending violence against women and girls, the First Minister confirmed that she will make a judgement on any invite to the White House if and when her office receives one.
Invites to the White House St Patrick's Day celebrations are usually issued in early February and last year, the First Minister faced criticism for attending the events due to the conflict in the Middle East.
"I think our relationship with successive US administrations has always been crucially important to our own peace process," Michelle O'Neill said.
"We have to maintain that focus, that's about what's good for the people that we serve, so in terms of support for the peace process, which has always been enjoyed a bipartisan way across the house in the US administration, I've no doubt that that will continue.
"What's important for us is about what that engagement means for us in terms of economic investment and yet to be seen in terms of the economic policies of this new President.
"We still haven't received an invite, but we'll judge all that once it comes, if it comes."
When pressed on if she would be setting aside President Trump's past behaviour when it comes to his comments on women, in favour of attracting investment, the First Minister stated that she may not agree with President Trump but that she would be acting in the best interests of Northern Ireland.
"We'll all have our own personal views on Donald Trump himself and particularly his views and even his views expressed yesterday in terms of our LGBTQ community," she added.
"I won't agree with him, I will never agree with him, but where I will engage is in what's in the best interests.
"He is the President, he is the people of America's choice, he's the President of the United States. So when it comes to our engagement, it will be on our interests on economic growth, it will be on investment, it be on the Irish peace process. Beyond that, I doubt I would share too much common ground.
"We've said that all violence against women and girls is wrong, and there's absolutely no justification.
"We look internationally, we work with political leaders right throughout the globe, and of course, we don't always agree with the political views or the particular circumstances or personalities of those individuals, but we work with them because of the office that they hold for the benefit of the people.
"And where we get chances to call out misogyny, we should always do so. If I didn't speak to everybody, I didn't, I, you know, didn't always share the same ground, I wouldn't speak to anybody."
Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration and said that she looks forward to building positive relations with him and Vice President Vance.
"Firstly, I want to offer my congratulations to President Trump and the team in terms of his inauguration yesterday," she said.
"As we've said before, we work with the President of the United States, no matter who that person is, we look forward to trying to build a constructive relationship with the President and the team and the Vice President."
Ms Little-Pengelly added: “Look, he is the democratically elected president of the United States. This is not about what his personal views are about.
“This is about engaging with that particular office.
“We’ve always had that constructive relationship with the president and with the US, and we’ll continue, hopefully, to do so.”
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English (United States) ·