President Joe Biden.Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty
PresidentJoe Bidenon Thursday confirmed that he met with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin “for seven-and-a-half minutes” at the Ireland Funds Gala at the National Building Museum on Wednesday, just prior to the announcement that Martin had tested positive forCOVID-19.
Martin, 61, was scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday for a meeting with Biden in the Oval Office and the annual Shamrock presentation. But after two positive COVID tests, the meetings were held virtually instead, per pool reporters.
“I’m really deeply sorry for the inconvenience that we have to meet virtually this year again although I did, at a little distance, for seven and a half minutes get to see you yesterday,” Biden said to Martin — appearing remotely — in remarks delivered prior to their bilateral meeting. “And especially after your flying all the way here to Washington and with a lot going on up in the Hill and the rest.”
Biden, who is Irish-American, wore a green tie and was seated beside the traditional crystal bowl of shamrocks gifted to the U.S. president on the holiday each year.
He used his remarks to also speak out about theongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has been under Russian attack since Feb. 24.
“We’re meeting in a moment when demands on unity in the world are really accelerating,” Biden said. “And we have to be united, and we certainly are. And Putin’s brutality and what he’s doing and his troops are doing in Ukraine is just inhumane.”
The president continued: “And so, you know, your predecessor and you occasionally kid me about always quoting Irish poets. But Yeats had a great line … He said, ‘All has changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty has been born.’ "
Martin — appearing for the meeting via Blair House, the official guest house that sits across the street from the White House — said in his own remarks that he was “feeling good,” joking about how he and Biden also met virtually last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last year, we met virtually across the Atlantic,” Martin said. “This year, we’re meeting virtually across the road. So, we’re getting closer.”
Also on the agenda, per the White House, was a discussion about the growing trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Both Biden and Martin are vaccinated against COVID-19, cases of which have been rising in some parts of the world, including Europe. Biden’s time with Martin would be less than the 15 minutes of exposure that would constitute a “close contact,” per federal health officials.
“He tested positive but he feels well,” Biden told the crowd of Martin at the annual luncheon.
Also speaking at the Thursday luncheon, Pelosi noted that she had also spent time with Martin, who uses the title of Taoiseach, at the Wednesday dinner, telling the crowd shesat with the him at dinner, PBS reports.
The network further reports Martin was called aside during the appetizer course with the results of his test and left the event before he could be presented with an award.
On Thursday evening, Biden and First Lady Dr.Jill Bidenare slated to host the presentation of the shamrocks, “a gesture of friendship and goodwill between the United States and Ireland that dates back to 1952,” per the White House.
source: people.com
