Biden Arrives in Belfast to Celebrate 25 Years of Peace in Northern Ireland

U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, as he departs for Northern Ireland, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 11, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland—President Joe Biden arrived in Belfast late on Tuesday to begin his political and personal four-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland, where he will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the Northern Ireland peace deal that ended 30 years of violent conflict. Biden is expected to participate in bilateral meetings and trace his family history in Ireland during his visit.

Biden landed in Belfast at 9:16 p.m. local time, where he was greeted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two leaders met in San Diego last month for the announcement of Australia’s nuclear submarine deal as part of the trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS.

Biden will meet with Sunak again on Wednesday for a bilateral meeting, after which he will give remarks at Ulster University celebrating the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement.

During this speech, Biden will highlight the “tremendous progress” made since the signing of the agreement and “underscore the readiness of the United States to preserve those gains and support Northern Ireland’s vast economic potential to the benefit of all communities,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on April 10.

“President Biden cares deeply about Northern Ireland and has a long history of supporting peace and prosperity there,” he added.

The agreement reached on April 10, 1998, established peace between unionists, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland. The deal effectively ended three decades of violence that had killed over 3,500 people.

The president’s visit takes place against a tense political backdrop. Since February 2022, the Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended as unionist parties refuse to take their seats in protest of the Brexit settlement.

When asked what his top priority for the trip was, Biden said that he wanted to “make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor agreement stay in place, to keep the peace,” referring to a contentious trade agreement reached between the UK and the European Union that sets out Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit relationship with both sides.

“That’s the main thing. And it’s looking like we’re going to. Keep your fingers crossed,” Biden told reporters before his departure.

Biden will be the fourth sitting U.S. president to visit Northern Ireland after Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

Following his speech at Ulster University, Biden is scheduled to travel to Dublin, Ireland, in the afternoon on Wednesday. The White House stated that the president will attend events in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo. The president, who says he’s proud of his Irish heritage, plans to visit the homes of his ancestors and meet with his relatives.