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For the second year in a row, President Biden was forced to forgo the traditional in-person St. Patrick’s Day meeting with Ireland’s prime minister after the visiting dignitary tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday night.
Biden greeted Taoiseach Micheál Martin from the Oval Office Thursday and said he was “deeply sorry for the inconvenience” before noting the two had briefly interacted the day before, prior to Martin returning a positive test.
“I did, at a little distance for seven and a half minutes, get to see you yesterday and your beautiful wife,” the president said, referring to the Ireland Funds Gala at the National Building Museum.
Both leaders had attended the event, which Martin was forced to leave early after his test result came back.
“Last year we met virtually across the Atlantic, this year we’re meeting virtually across the road,” joked Martin, who was confined to Blair House across the street from the White House. “We’re getting closer!”
The two leaders wore green ties and shamrock boutonnieres in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. A video screen was set up in the place Martin would have sat had they met in person.
At the gala, Martin sat maskless next to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) while Biden delivered remarks.
The White House later told CBS News that the president “was not a close contact” of Martin.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a close contact is someone who is “less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.”
During their virtual meeting, Biden noted that the US and Ireland will work together on climate change, economic opportunities and combating COVID-19.
He also praised the Taoiseach for Ireland taking in Ukrainian refugees amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
“What you are doing, taking Ukrainian refugees, speaks so loudly about your principles and it’s amazing. I want to publicly compliment you for it,” Biden said.
Biden also emphasized the US’ support of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, saying “too much blood, sweat, and tears were shed” for that to change.
In his remarks, Martin praised Biden’s leadership as “firm,” “determined” and “strong.”
“The US, the European Union, and United Kingdom, Canada and other like-minded democracies are coming together to respond in an unprecedented way to this barbaric attack on the women and children of Ukraine and the young people, who are dying in this unjustified and immoral war,” he said.
“I think it’s extremely important that we keep this unity of purpose,” Martin continued, adding that Ireland will continue to “do everything we possibly can on humanitarian fronts” as well as supporting broad sanctions against Moscow.
Biden and Martin did not take any questions.
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