THE IRISH Government experienced some difficulties when it came to working with the Trump administration, Simon Coveney has revealed.
According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs while Ireland had a “good and respectful” working relationship with the Trump White House, they often clashed on issues like foreign policy.
Speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Coveney welcomed President Joe Biden’s plans for a "much warmer transatlantic relationship".
"Regardless of who is in the White House, it's the job of an Irish foreign minister and the Irish Government to ensure they have a good and functioning relationship,” he said.
"We had a good functioning relationship with the Trump administration, but we also had very significant differences of opinion in terms of foreign policy and foreign policy approaches, whether that was the Middle East or, in the context of climate, whether it was the World Health Organisation, whether it was the approach towards advocacy on human rights issues, migration - it's a long list.
"While we had a good and respectful working relationship with the Trump administration, it was difficult to work with a country that is a friend when they have a very different approach on fundamental issues that are contrary to Irish foreign policy and, quite frankly, an Irish value system.
"What we are seeing now is an administration with a very, very different outlook on the world and how it interacts with global politics.
"We are already seeing in the Biden administration and the people he has chosen to lead his administration are looking to reach out.
"They are already signalling they want a much warmer transatlantic relationship and want multilateralism to work and want US leadership in the context.
"It is factually true that the approach of the Trump administration to foreign policy was one of effectively bilateral transaction-based politics, where if it was in the interests of the US, if it was America-first, then they proceeded with something, if it wasn't, they didn't.
"I think the Biden approach with be the opposite to that, to ensure that US influence is used to shape the world that is good for it."
(Image: Getty)During the online address discussing Ireland's priorities for the United Nations Security Council, Coveney also said the Irish Government wouldo be doing everything in its power to help the US reintegrate into the various organisations it severed ties with while Trump was in office.
Ireland formally took its seat as an elected member of the UN Security Council earlier this month.
See More: Donald Trump, Irish Politics, Politics, Simon Coveney
