Earlier today (Wednesday), the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, T.D. met virtually with the United States Secretary of the Treasury, Janet L. Yellen. Minister Donohoe renewed his congratulations to Secretary Yellen on her recent appointment.
On the occasion of St Patrick’s Day, both the Minister and the Secretary recalled the deep, historic ties of affinity and friendship between Ireland and the United States. Minister Donohoe and Secretary Yellen both underscored their shared commitment to work together to support a strong and sustained global economic recovery from the pandemic, to create good jobs and reduce inequality. Minister Donohoe briefed the Secretary on the Eurogroup discussions earlier this week (Monday), which reached consensus on the need for a supportive fiscal stance in 2021 and 2022.
Minister Donohoe told the Treasury Secretary that ‘the Eurogroup is united in our approach that until the health crisis is over and recovery is firmly underway, we will continue to protect our economy through the deployment of the necessary level of fiscal support’.
Their discussion covered a range of topics, including action to address the threat of climate change, improve transatlantic trade flows and regulatory cooperation, and active engagement in the ongoing OECD discussions on international taxation.
The Minister and Secretary committed to deepening the Ireland-US bilateral relationship as an integral part of a strong transatlantic partnership based on common interests and shared values. Minister Donohoe conveyed his readiness to work closely with Secretary Yellen, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to advance shared priorities.
Minister Donohoe said: ‘The historic ties between Ireland and the United were born out of people-to-people connections of both affinity and ancestry. Today, we are fortunate to have built such a strong relationship encompassing trade, investment, educational exchange and trusted networks for scientific research and the dissemination of knowledge. We in Ireland and Europe understand and share the Secretary’s objective of delivering a sustainable and fair global economic recovery.”
ENDS