Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will visit Washington DC for St Patrick's Week events. She plans to attend a White House reception with US President Donald Trump and a Speaker's Luncheon in the US Capitol with Speaker Mike Johnson.

Little-Pengelly will host an NI Bureau Breakfast and address more than 300 stakeholders from politics, business, academia, and cultural sectors. She aims to promote Northern Ireland as a location to live, work, visit, study, and invest.

The deputy First Minister seeks to support Northern Ireland businesses in expanding exports and forming US partnerships. She noted that 70% of US businesses investing in Northern Ireland reinvest and expand.

She will highlight Northern Ireland's strengths in cyber security, FinTech, RegTech, advanced manufacturing, and health sciences, along with its skilled workforce and universities. Northern Ireland businesses export to over 100 countries, rank second in the UK for inward investment competitiveness, and top Europe for foreign direct investment strategy among mid-sized regions.

Little-Pengelly will speak at an event by the Department for Communities and America 250 Commission marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. The event will note cultural, historical, and personal ties between Northern Ireland and the US.

Justice Minister Naomi Long will not attend, citing issues with President Trump's actions toward war veterans and US allies. First Minister Michelle O'Neill is also not attending the White House event for the second year.