Mark J Finlay

Special adviser on geopolitics Mark J. Finlay reacts to US President Donald Trump's latest comments on negotiations with Iran, and the economic pressure he is putting on the regime to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Today I am travelling to Washington DC to embark on a series of engagements with politicians, business leaders and diplomats. Northern Ireland enjoys privileged access to the corridors of power each March, and it is important that we don’t take it for granted or neglect it. For Northern Ireland, the idea of a special relationship with the United States is not just something we say. It is something lived, felt, and renewed with every generation. It is written into family histories and shared stories, into classrooms and boardrooms, into the very way we see our place in the world. This year will be particularly significant for us, as a number of events are planned to mark the role the Ulster Scots played in the formation of the modern America. 250 years on from the Declaration of Independence, those bonds remain strong. The United States remains Northern Ireland’s largest source of high-value, technology-rich foreign direct investment. Over the past decade, nearly 15,000 jobs and £1.5 billion in investment have been generated by American companies that saw potential here—companies who chose Northern Ireland not out of sentiment, but because the fundamentals were right. Recent investments—such as the announcement of 1000 jobs from Bank of America —point to something bigger than individual projects. They reflect confidence. Confidence in our talent, in our institutions, and in our ability to compete in the industries that will define the 21st century. Northern Ireland may be small, but we are agile. We cannot shape every global trend, but we can seize them—and turn them into jobs, ideas, and prosperity. From fintech and cyber security to advanced manufacturing and the creative industries that now attract major international productions, Northern Ireland is telling a new story—one of confidence, creativity, and connection. That is why US–Northern Ireland trade matters. Not just because of balance sheets or job numbers, but because it reflects a partnership rooted in shared history and renewed by shared ambition. I believe deeply in this special relationship, and I am confident that, together, we can ensure that our friends in the United States continue to visit, invest, and build their futures right here in Northern Ireland.