TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE begins his St Patrick’s Day programme today, heading first to Atlanta, Georgia.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs will begin his trade and tourism promotion with an ‘Invest in Ireland’ business forum and will also meet with senior management from both Coca-Cola and UPS. He is also set to deliver a talk at Georgia Tech University, where he will discuss collaboration with Irish third-level institutions and researchers.

Gilmore will be in New Orleans on St Patrick’s Day, during which he will give a keynote address to the Hibernian Society.

Washington DC

The Tánaiste will then travel to Washington DC on 18 March for a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State John Kerry during which it is believed that discussions will centre around the situation in Northern Ireland, US immigration reform, plans for an EU-US Trade Agreement and international issues including the ongoing crisis in Syria.

On 19 March, both Gilmore and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will hold a bilateral meeting with President Barack Obama.

On the subject of his upcoming trip, Gilmore stressed the importance of America. “As our number-one export market and the source of 80 per cent of all foreign direct investment to Ireland, North America was a key target for us in devising this year’s ministerial travel programme,” he said.

This is another opportunity to highlight the progress that has been made in restoring Ireland’s international reputation and putting the economy back on a sustainable path.

Read: 19 ministers set for overseas travel for St Patrick’s Day >