Belfast [Ireland], April 12: US President Joe Biden arrives in Belfast late on Tuesday at a delicate political time in Northern Ireland as he helps mark the 25th anniversary of a peace deal that largely ended 30 years of bloodshed there. Biden, known for decades for his pro-Irish views, will need to tread carefully as the largest pro-British unionist party continues to boycott the devolved power-sharing government that was a fundamental part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. A senior administration official said that Biden is expected to meet representatives from the five main Northern Irish parties on Wednesday before his speech at Belfast's Ulster University but was not planning to pressure them.
"25 years ago, Northern Ireland's leaders chose peace. I look forward to marking the anniversary in Belfast, underscoring the US commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity," Biden tweeted. Security concerns were highlighted on Tuesday by discovering four pipe bombs, small improvised explosive devices, in a city 110 km (70 miles) from where Biden is to stay. Police linked the devices to Irish nationalist rioters who attacked police there on Monday. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party said Biden's visit - the first by a US president in 10 years - will not pressure it to end its protest at post-Brexit trade rules that treat the province differently to the rest of the UK. The EU and UK agreed to ease many trade barriers in the Windsor Framework deal endorsed by Biden. The DUP wants further changes but London has said that is not possible.
Before boardingBiden also named the protection of the framework as one of his priorities for the trip. "Make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor Agreement stay in place. Keep the peace. That's the main thing. And it looks like we're going to," he said. "Keep your fingers crossed." Biden sometimes clashed with the British government during the Brexit talks, drawing a rebuke from DUP lawmakers.
Biden will float the possibility of closer investment ties between the US and Northern Ireland to try to encourage an end to the impasse. However, the latest political stalemate is set to overshadow the visit and the anniversary of the peace deal the US helped broker between Irish nationalists seeking a united Ireland and pro-British unionists wanting to remain part of the UK.
Source: Qatar Tribune