Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is hailing Irish-American ties in a speech to the U.S. Congress just days before he steps down, telling Congress, “To be Irish is to be at home in America.”

Ahern entered the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday to a standing ovation from lawmakers from both the House and Senate.

He was invited to speak by the leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The invitation was intended to recognize Ahern’s peacemaking efforts and tenure as one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders.

Ahern is widely credited with helping to achieve the Good Friday peace accord of 1998 for the neighboring British territory of Northern Ireland and for overseeing the longest economic expansion in Ireland’s history.