U.S. President Joe Biden is embarking on a three-day Irish tour, beginning with a visit to Belfast to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace
deal. Biden, who takes pride in his Irish heritage, will spend just over half a day in the UK region before travelling south to the Republic of Ireland for two-and-a-half days of speeches and meetings with officials and distant relatives.
Biden's main priority is to help "keep the peace" in Northern Ireland as it marks the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. He also plans to ensure that the Windsor Framework deal between the European Union and Britain, which aims to ease post-Brexit trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, remains in place.
However, the deal has failed to convince Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to end its boycott of the devolved power-sharing government. Despite Biden's visit, the DUP remains firm in its protest against the trade rules that treat the province differently from the rest of the UK.
During his visit, Biden is expected to greet representatives of the DUP and the other four main Northern Ireland political parties. However, it remains unclear if they will hold separate meetings.
Biden will also float the possibility of closer U.S./Northern Ireland investment ties to try to encourage an end to the impasse. On arrival, Biden was accompanied by new U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs Joseph Kennedy III.
After his speech at Ulster University and a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Biden will travel to County Louth, where his great-grandfather was born. Biden's great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan, a shoemaker from County Louth, immigrated to the United States in 1849. His family, including Biden's great-grandfather James Finnegan, followed him in 1850.
On Friday, Biden will meet relatives from another side of his family in the western county of Mayo. Despite the stormy weather expected across the island on Wednesday, Biden remains committed to his Irish tour.
Biden's visit to Northern Ireland marks the first time a U.S. president has visited the region in a decade. His visit is an important opportunity to demonstrate U.S. support for the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. As a leader with a deep connection to Ireland, Biden is in a unique position to play a role in easing tensions and encouraging progress in Northern Ireland. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.