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The Vice President met today with the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland.  The Vice President underscored the unwavering strength of the U.S.-Ireland relationship, and highlighted the robust trade and investment ties between the United States and Ireland. The leaders discussed the current status of Brexit negotiations and its potential impact on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Vice President encouraged the European Union and United Kingdom to work together in good faith to find a solution to the challenge Brexit poses to the free flow of goods across Ireland’s border with Northern Ireland. The leaders also discussed the great economic opportunities presented by a future U.S.-EU free trade agreement, and affirmed it would be mutually beneficial to work towards an agreement as soon as possible.

The Vice President commended Ireland’s ongoing cooperation with the United States and NATO partners on cyber security and counter-terrorism efforts, and urged Ireland to carefully consider the risks posed by untrustworthy vendors engaged in the development of 5G telecommunications infrastructure. The leaders agreed to work together to address this issue.