Biden visit – latest news: Security document for US president trip ‘found lying in Belfast street’
Police are investigating after a sensitive security document for Joe Biden’s Northern Ireland visit was found lying in a Belfast street by an “alarmed” resident, who said it appeared “highly sensitive”.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland document, handed to the BBC, appeared to show how officers would secure inner Belfast while the US president stayed overnight at the Grand Central hotel, where he met with Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.
Mr Biden, who has Irish ancestry, used his time in Belfast to say that he hoped Northern Ireland’s devolved power-sharing government could be restored soon – a call immediately rejected by the DUP.
After a gaffe at a pub in Dundalk in which he mistook the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team for the “Black and Tans”, a contentious police unit from Ireland’s War of Independence era, Mr Biden was set for a series of official engagements in Dublin on Thursday.
Before giving an address to both houses of the Irish parliament, the Oireachtas, Mr Biden will visit president Michael D Higgins, and will meet premier Leo Varadkar.
Key Points
Security document for Joe Biden’s trip found lying in Belfast street
Biden calls for restoration of Stormont power-sharing...
... But DUP says president’s words change nothing
US president in ‘Black and Tans’ gaffe at Dundalk pub
Bad weather blocks Biden from reconnecting with roots
Biden says he is here to ‘listen’ as he meets Sunak in Belfast
Joe Biden in touching exchange with An Irish Goodbye star James Martin
15:45 , Liam James
US President Joe Biden said he would boast to his daughter about having his photo taken with James Martin, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye (Ellie Harrison writes).
The film, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the ceremony last month, is a black comedy set on a rural farm in Glenmornan, a small hamlet in the west of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
It follows the reunion of estranged brothers Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (Martin) after the death of their mother.
Biden pointed out James Martin in the crowd as he spoke this week at Ulster University in Belfast, during a visit to the country for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Joe Biden in touching exchange with An Irish Goodbye star James Martin
Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents
15:20 , Liam James
President Joe Biden said while he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been leaked, “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence” (Darlene Superville writes).
It was the first time Mr Biden has commented publicly about the release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites. They appear to detail US and Nato aid to Ukraine and US intelligence assessments regarding US allies that could strain ties with those nations. The Justice Department has opened an investigation.
Mr Biden noted there was a “full-blown” investigation going on with the intelligence community and the Justice Department. “We’re getting close,” he said on answers. “But I don’t have an answer.”
Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents
Ireland is graced by your presence, Varadkar tells Biden
14:53 , Liam James
Irish premier Leo Varadkar welcomed US president Joe Biden to Farmleigh House with a brief conversation in front of the media ahead of a private meeting.
Mr Varadkar told the president: “It is wonderful to have you back in Ireland and I think the visit has been going extremely well, you very much grace us with your presence and I look forward to the meeting later on.”
Mr Biden told Mr Varadkar it had been great to see him in Washington last month, and said: “I think there really is an opportunity to make serious progress, not just because of the accord that was signed 25 years ago, but in terms of the way Ireland is moving, the way it is taking its place in the world, working on helping countries around the world that are dealing with starvation, the way you’ve welcomed - I know it’s not easy - welcomed Ukrainians here and the leadership you’ve shown.
“I just think it feels so good to be able to have this stronger and stronger relationship between the United States and Ireland, I think our values are the same, and I think our concerns are the same, so I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with you.”
Biden meets Varadkar at Ireland’s house of dignitaries
14:21 , Liam James
Joe Biden has arrived at Farmleigh House in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on a sunny afternoon in Ireland’s capital.
The president was greeted by Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar on a recently cleaned red carpet outside the entrance to the official Irish state guest house.
“Beautiful day,” the president said as the pair shared a joke while shaking hands in front of a number of cameras.
Irish and US flags were positioned side by side next to the carpet, with a bed of purple flowers situated in front of them.
A small guard of honour greeted the president outside Farmleigh House before he entered the building with Mr Varadkar.
Biden plants ceremonial Irish oak
13:50 , Liam James
President Joe Biden planted an Irish oak in the grounds of Aras an Uachtarain, accompanied by Irish president Michael D Higgins and head gardener Donal Nugent.
The ceremony also saw the US president ring the Peace Bell, which was unveiled in 2008 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Biden rang it four times before shaking hands with the Irish president.
The ringing of the symbolic bell is often an honour bestowed on visiting world leaders and dignitaries.
Return to power-sharing ‘necessary’, says Biden, despite DUP dismissal
13:30 , Liam James
Joe Biden was asked about his hopes for the future of the island of Ireland after 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement.
The US president said he hopes that the government in Northern Ireland returns to function after a lengthy breakdown in power-sharing.
“I hope the government returns to function as it used to in terms of being a representative body of the north.
“I think that’s necessary and for you all to decide, not for me to decide,” he said.
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party yesterday responded to a similar call from Mr Biden to say that his words changed nothing in Stormont.
Biden speaks after meeting Irish president
13:19 , Liam James
Joe Biden is speaking to reporters outside Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin.
He was asked about the leak of US documents, which has raised several diplomatic questions.
The president said: “I’m concerned that it happened but there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of.”
American national anthem played
13:00 , Matt Mathers
A military band has played the American national anthem to Joe Biden outside Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin as he stood with his right hand on his heart while it played.
They followed with the Irish national anthem, before President Biden inspected the guard of honour.
Mr Biden was introduced to Irish Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean Clancy and head of the Irish Police, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, before meeting other dignitaries in sunshine, a contrast to the wet weather which was the backdrop to his first engagements in Co Louth on Wednesday.
Mr Biden is now taking part in a private meeting with Irish President Michael D Higgins inside the residence.
Biden inspects guard of honour
12:45 , Matt Mathers
Mr Biden has inspected a guard of honour outside the Irish president’s official residence.
A short while ago Mr Biden was greeted by the Irish president - Michael D Higgins- and his wife Sabina.
The two presidents will hold talks inside once Mr Biden has finished inspecting the guard of honour.
Presidents sign visitors book
12:30 , Matt Mathers
Mr Biden and Mr Higgins have signed the visitors book at the Irish president’s official residence.
The US president described the residence as “nice” and similar to the White House.
He also recited an Irish proverb, saying: "Your feet will bring you where your heart is".
President Higgins will present President Biden with a gift of poetry - a vinyl recording of Patrick Kavanagh.
Higgins and wife greet Biden
12:23 , Matt Mathers
President Higgins and his wife Sabina have greeted President Biden on his arrival at the Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the Irish president.
The two men are scheduled to hold talks inside shortly, before Mr Biden addresses the Irish parliament where he will “be reflecting on the long, close and shared history between the United States and Ireland," said Amanda Sloat, the National Security Council’s senior Europe director.
In the meetings with leaders, Ireland’s continued support of the U.S.-led effort to help Ukraine in the war against Russia will be a focal point, particularly on humanitarian and security assistance.
Biden to meet Irish president
11:37 , Matt Mathers
US President Joe Biden will meet his Irish opposite number - Michael D Higgins - in Dublin on day two of his trip to Ireland.
Mr Biden will also address the Irish parliament, having visited Dundalk and Carlingford on Wednesday evening.
The US president is expected to inspect a military guard of honour, plant an oak tree to mark the occasion, to sign the visitors’ book and ring the Bell of Peace.
Biden and UK's Sunak did not discuss intel leaks, White House says
11:08 , Matt Mathers
Joe Biden did not discuss the leak of intelligence documents with Rishi Sunak when the two men met in Northern Ireland this week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday.
"It did not come up, the leaked documents, in that conversation," she told reporters in Dublin where Biden is in the middle of a three-day Irish tour.
The US president and UK prime minister held talks with one another in Belfast on Wednesday.
Biden ‘had time of his life’ in County Louth, says White House
10:21 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden “had the time of his life in Co Louth”, the White House has said – despite his gaffe mixing up the New Zealand All Blacks and the Black and Tans.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “He had the chance to meet so many Irishmen and speak about the close ties between American and the Irish peoples.”
Mr Biden told a pub in County Louth on Wednesday that visiting the area his great-great-grandfather left for America “feels like coming home”.
Ms Jean-Pierre said the US president’s further engagements on Thursday will involve “strengthening those close bonds”, including with Irish president Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
US National Security Council senior director for Europe Amanda Sloat added that the White House had “positive feedback” on Mr Biden’s speech at Ulster University in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Fein president says it would be ‘wrong' to boycott Biden’s parliamentary address
09:59 , Andy Gregory
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has said she shares concerns about aspects of US foreign policy, but said it would be wrong to boycott Joe Biden’s address to both houses of the Oireachtas.
People Before Profit will boycott the speech by the US president later over objections to his foreign policy. Ms McDonald told RTE Radio 1’s Morning Ireland show that she believed this was “the wrong choice”.
She heaped praise on US involvement in the peace process, but indicated that she shared concerns about the US record in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as its position on Israel.
But the Sinn Fein leader said “there wouldn’t have been a peace process without America”, as she stressed the country’s positive contribution to the island.
Asked directly if she shared left-wing criticisms of US foreign policy, she said: “Of course I do. And those are legitimate criticisms. I very much doubt that anybody in the American administration is unaware of the wide criticism of many of their foreign policy stances.”
Biden will discuss Northern Ireland and Ukraine with Irish leaders
09:55 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden will have a “good discussion” with Irish president Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about Northern Ireland, the US National Security Council’s senior director has said.
“The president will be very interested in hearing from both of them, how they see the situation and developments there,” Amanda Sloat told a press gathering in Dublin.
“Ukraine is something I expect will be high on the agenda in both of those meetings, given Ireland’s participation in various aspects of US support for Ukraine.”
Ms Sloat said Mr Biden’s address to the Irish parliament will refer to areas of close partnership between both countries and “setting out a shared vision for the future”.
Joe Biden to address Irish parliament
09:50 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden will address the Irish parliament this evening as his visit to the island of Ireland continues with a series of official engagements in Dublin, reports David Young.
Before his address to both houses of the Oireachtas, Mr Biden will visit President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at his official residence in Phoenix Park and will also have a meeting with Irish premier Leo Varadkar at nearby Farmleigh House.
At Farmleigh, the president will be invited to watch a sports demonstration by young gaelic games players.
After his parliamentary address on Thursday afternoon, Mr Biden will attend a banquet in his honour at Dublin Castle hosted by Taoiseach Mr Varadkar.
Joe Biden to address parliament after ‘Black and Tan’ gaffe during Ireland visit
Joe Biden appears to confuse the All Blacks with the Black and Tans in pub speech
01:00 , Liam James
Joe Biden appeared to confuse the All Blacks and the Black and Tans, during a speech at a pub in Ireland.
The US president, paying tribute to relative and former Irish rugby player Rob Kearney, thanked him for the tie he was wearing and referenced a 2016 match at Soldier Field in Chicago against the New Zealand team.
He said: “This was given to me by one of these guys, right here, was a hell of a rugby player. He beat the hell out of the Black and Tans.”
Click here for the full story:
Joe Biden appears to confuse the All Blacks with the Black and Tans in pub speech
America’s true special relationship isn’t with the UK | Voices
Thursday 13 April 2023 00:00 , Liam James
Skylar Baker-Jordan’s take on America’s deep connection with Ireland:
There is nowhere in the world Joe Biden should be today but Belfast.
A proud descendant of Irish immigrants, the President of the United States of America is today in Northern Ireland commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. It makes sense; the Americans were intrinsically involved in negotiating the deal which ended three decades of sectarian violence between the Protestant Unionists and Catholic Nationalists. The Good Friday Agreement stands as a triumph of American diplomacy and a global blueprint for ending civil conflict.
Read the full piece here:
America’s true special relationship isn’t with the UK
Security document for US president Joe Biden’s Irish visit ‘found lying in Belfast street’
Wednesday 12 April 2023 23:00 , Liam James
Police have launched an investigation after a sensitive document on security for Joe Biden’s Northern Ireland visit was found lying in a Belfast street.
The US president landed in County Antrim on Tuesday night for a four-day trip around Ireland, leading Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) to launch a huge security operation to accommodate him.
On Wednesday, PSNI said it was aware of a “security breach” after the BBC reported that a member of the public had found a document marked with the force’s header detailing how officers would secure inner Belfast while Mr Biden stayed overnight at the Grand Central hotel.
Click here to read the full story:
Security document for Joe Biden’s Irish visit ‘found lying in Belfast street’
PSNI wants its money back for Biden protection
Wednesday 12 April 2023 22:00 , Liam James
The PSNI will seek to recover some of the £7m cost of security measures around commemorations of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a senior officer has said.
A major policing operation in Belfast has now ended after US president Joe Biden left Northern Ireland following a speech at Ulster University.
The PSNI said that 2,920 of its officers had been involved in the operation to assist with Mr Biden‘s visit, including frontline officers, security detail and close protection. Some 300 police officers were drafted in from elsewhere in the UK for the operation.
It was the largest police operation in Northern Ireland since the G8 summit was held in County Fermanagh in 2013.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said: “This has been a complex and expensive operation delivered to internationally recognised standards and at present we anticipate the overall cost for the two week operation will be somewhere in the region of £7,, however that is an early estimate and is subject to change.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland will seek to recover what costs we can, under relevant established arrangements, once the operation has concluded and full details are known.”
White House read-out of Biden-Sunak meeting
Wednesday 12 April 2023 21:15 , Liam James
The White House has released a statement on the meeting between Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak earlier:
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom in Belfast. The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, marking the 25th anniversary of a landmark agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland. They also welcomed the Windsor Framework as an important step in preserving that peace and progress. In addition, the leaders exchanged views on a range of global issues, including their continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.”
After the meeting, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “They agreed that manipulation of global markets by authoritarian leaders demonstrates, more than ever, the need for like-minded partners to work together to support the economic health and security of our nations.
“The leaders said that the thriving trade relationship between the UK and US demonstrates we are doing just that.”
Biden appears to confuse All Blacks with Black and Tans
Wednesday 12 April 2023 20:45 , Liam James
Joe Biden appeared to confuse the All Blacks and the Black and Tans, during remarks in Louth.
The US President, paying tribute to relative and former Irish rugby player Rob Kearney, thanked him for the tie he was wearing and referenced the match at Soldier Field in Chicago against the New Zealand team.
“This was given to me by one of these guys, right here, was a hell of a rugby player.
“He beat the hell out of the Black and Tans.”
The Black and Tans were hastily recruited British troops stationed against the rebels in the Irish war of independence, so named for their uniforms, which featured ill-matched black and khaki items due to a shortage.
Biden on charm offensive in ancestral home
Wednesday 12 April 2023 20:12 , Liam James
Visiting the home of his ancestors, Joe Biden received a hero’s welcome.
County Louth’s most famous descendant declared, “I don’t know why the hell my ancestors left here. It’s beautiful.”
The president walked along a street of shops and restaurants in Dundalk, shaking hands, posing for photos and greeting local people who are proud that he shares their Irish heritage.
Bad weather blocks Biden from reconnecting with roots
Wednesday 12 April 2023 19:45 , Liam James
Joe Biden will no longer visit Kilwirra Cemetery in County Louth, where his ancestors are buried, due to the wet weather in Ireland.
The president was also due to travel by helicopter from Dublin to Cooley Kickhams Gaelic Football Club, Co Louth, but the plan was scrapped due to the weather.
Biden arrives in Irish ancestral home
Wednesday 12 April 2023 19:00 , Liam James
US President Joe Biden has arrived in Carlingford, County Louth for the second stop on his visit to the Republic of Ireland, where his relatives are buried.
Local people turned out in numbers on motorway overpasses as well as lining road sides approaching the town despite heavy rain in an area Mr Biden has traced ancestral roots to.
There were cheers as the president’s distinctive car passed.
Mr Biden had been due to fly by helicopter from Dublin to Co Louth, but plans were changed to motorcade due to the weather conditions.
Some of the well wishers are holding US or Irish flags, and a poster reads “Welcome home cousin Joe”.
Biden tells child ‘key to success'
Wednesday 12 April 2023 18:15 , Liam James
Joe Biden shared his “key to success” with a child as he left Dublin airport.
Before heading into the Irish capital, the president met embassy staff and their children and thanked them for their service.
One child asked Mr Biden what they key to success was, to which he replied: “The key to success is, whenever you disagree with someone, it’s OK to question their judgment on whether they’re right or wrong, but it is never OK to question their motive.”
“If you question their motive, you’ll never agree,” the president added.
Biden lands in Dublin in the rain
Wednesday 12 April 2023 17:00 , Liam James
US president Joe Biden was shielded by umbrellas as he touched down at Dublin Airport ahead of his three-day stay in the Republic of Ireland.
Air Force One landed at the Irish capital’s airport this afternoon in heavy rain and cold winds.
Mr Biden, accompanied by his son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden Owens, was greeted on the tarmac and shook hands with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar alongside other Irish dignitaries.
The US president had been due to travel to County Louth by helicopter, but the poor weather conditions forced him to go via motorcade.
Biden security document found lying in street
Wednesday 12 April 2023 16:30 , Liam James
A sensitive police document regarding security for US president Joe Biden’s Northern Ireland visit was found lying in the street.
BBC Radio Ulster heard from listener Bill how he spotted a piece of paper on the pavement while driving near to where he lives in Belfast.
He said he picked it up and was surprised to see that it was a Police Service Northern Ireland document with details of how officers would secure central Belfast as Mr Biden headed to the Grand Central hotel.
“I found it just alarming,” Bill said.
The BBC posted a redacted version of the document on Twitter:
Nolan exclusive: PSNI-Biden secret security document found laying in street pic.twitter.com/gHQcNxFPOd
— The Nolan Show, BBC (@BBCNolan) April 12, 2023
Biden sent a ‘clear message to the DUP'
Wednesday 12 April 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
US President Joe Biden sent a “clear message to the DUP”, Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill has said.
During a visit to Northern Ireland, Mr Biden said he hoped the Assembly and the Executive will soon be restored, adding it could draw even greater opportunity in the region.
The powersharing institutions have been effectively collapsed for more than a year while the DUP refuse to participate until their concerns around the Brexit Protocol are addressed.
Mr Biden briefly met the leaders of the five largest parties before making his address at the new Ulster University campus.
Ms O’Neill said she felt his message was “on the right note”.
“I think he sent a very clear message that everything that has been achieved over the past 25 years is something to be celebrated, but he very much was future focused, he was looking forward to the next 25 years, it was about the hope and the opportunity, but I think his message was clear, we need peace, we need stability and we need prosperity, those things all go hand in hand,” she said.
“I think his message was very much on the right note.”
She added: “I think the message here from this visit is going to be one about peace, prosperity and about stability, and that means we need the political leg of things to work as well.
“I’m committed to making it work.
“Where I’m focused is about trying to get Stormont up and running again, and make politics work.”
Joe Biden says Brexit deal can bring ‘significant’ US investment to Northern Ireland
Wednesday 12 April 2023 15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Joe Biden has praised Rishi Sunak’s post-Brexit deal with the EU and said it could bring “significant” US investment into Northern Ireland.
The US president backed the Windsor framework compromise aimed at ending the protocol row, as he shared his hopes that Northern Ireland parties will return to powersharing arrangements “soon”.
Mr Biden was careful not to mention the DUP’s refusal to return to Stormont during his speech in Belfast on Wednesday – but insisted that getting stable, devolved government up and running could deliver an economic windfall for the region.
In a keynote address at Ulster University marking the 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement, Mr Biden said the protocol deal opposed by the DUP was an “essential step” in making sure peace and progress were “preserved and strengthened”.
Our political correspondent, Adam Forrest, reports:
Joe Biden says Brexit deal can bring ‘significant’ US investment to Northern Ireland
Watch live: Biden arrives in Dublin to mark 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement
Wednesday 12 April 2023 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Watch live as Joe Biden arrives in Dublin on Wednesday (12 April) as part of his four-day visit to the island of Ireland commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The US president landed at RAF Aldergrove near Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday evening (11 April).
Mr Biden was greeted by Rishi Sunak on the runway.
Watch live: Biden arrives in Dublin to mark 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement
DUP rejects Biden call for power-sharing resumption
Wednesday 12 April 2023 14:15 , Jane Dalton
The DUP leader has rejected President Biden’s call for the restoration of power-sharing.
“It doesn’t change the political dynamic in Northern Ireland. We know what needs to happen,” Jeffrey Donaldson told reporters after meeting Mr Biden, when asked whether the president’s visit made any difference to his party’s stance.
“We believe the (British) government needs to go further in terms of protecting Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and our ability to trade within the UK internal market,” he said.
“That’s what needs to happen to enable us to move towards the restoration of the political institutions.”
Biden hails glass building as 'testament to power of peace’
Wednesday 12 April 2023 14:10 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden extolled the “dividends of peace” as he addressed the gathering at a new university campus in Belfast.
Standing in the newly built Ulster University campus, Mr Biden said such a glass-fronted building would have been “highly unlikely” during one of his previous visits to the area in 1991, when the Troubles were raging.
Terrorist bombs destroyed scores of buildings in Belfast during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
“This very campus is situated at an intersection where conflict and bloodshed once held a terrible sway,” Mr Biden said.
“The idea to have a glass building here when I was here in ’91 was highly unlikely.
“Where barbed wire once sliced up the city, today we find a cathedral of learning built of glass and let the light shine in and out.
“This has a profound impact for someone who has come back to see it.
“It’s an incredible testament to the power and the possibilities of peace.”
Weather grounds Biden’s helicopter travel
Wednesday 12 April 2023 14:02 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden will no longer travel by helicopter to Co Louth due to bad weather, Irish government officials say.
The US president will travel to his first set of engagements in the Republic of Ireland via motorcade, they said.
He is due to go to Louth, on Ireland’s east coast, to visit a cemetery, tour a castle, walk around downtown Dundalk and attend a community gathering.
Still to come on Biden’s Ireland tour
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:45 , Jane Dalton
After he delivers his keynote speech at the Ulster University in Belfast, president Joe Biden will then cross the border.
He will travel to Co Louth where he has ancestral roots. His great-grandfather Owen Finnegan left the county for the US in the 1840s. During the visit, he county, he will tour Carlingford Castle.
Mr Biden will stay overnight in Dublin.
We’re with you every step, says Biden, paying tribute to ‘pioneering women'
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:39 , Jane Dalton
Mr Biden paid tribute to peace makers from “pioneering women who said ‘enough’ and demanded change”, political leaders and the “determined efforts” of his “good friend” Senator George Mitchell to bring about the Good Friday Agreement.
“His time serving as special envoy for Northern Ireland is one of the great examples in history of the right person for the right job at the right time in my view,” the US president said of Mr Mitchell.
“I think sometimes, especially with the distance of history, we forget how hard-earned, how astounding that peace was. It shifted the political gravity in our world.
“In 1998 it was the longest-running conflict in Europe since the end of World War Two - thousands of families had been affected by the Troubles, losses are real, the pain was personal.
“Every person killed in the Troubles left an empty chair at the dining room table, a hole in the heart that was never filled for the ones they lost.
“Peace was not inevitable, we can’t ever forget that. As George Mitchell often said, the negotiations had 700 days of failure, and one day of success, but they kept going because George and all the many others never stopped believing that success was possible.
“I want all of you, especially the young people, to know the American people are with you, every step of the way.”
Brexit deal will bring significant investment, says Biden
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:28 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden said 25 years of peace meant the “incredible economic opportunity is just beginning”, adding that Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Agreement with the EU could bring “significant” investment in Northern Ireland.
The president said scores of major US companies were “wanting to come here, wanting to invest” in Northern Ireland.
Upholding the Good Friday Agreement was a “priority for Democrats and Republicans alike”, he added.
President urges leaders to restore NI assembly and executive
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:24 , Jane Dalton
President Biden encouraged the leaders of the UK the EU “to address the issues in a way that serve Northern Ireland’s best interest”.
“The Windsor framework addresses the practical realities of Brexit and... is an essential step to ensuring hard-earned peace and progress,” he said in Belfast.
“I hope it’s not too presumptuous for me to say that I believe democratic institutions established [by] the Good Friday Agreement remain critical to the future of Northern Ireland.”
He said an effective devolved government that reflects the people of Northern Ireland and is accountable to them, a government that works to find ways through hard problems together, is going to draw even greater opportunity in this region.
“So I hope the assembly and the executive will soon be restored. That’s a judgment for you to make not me, but I hope it happens, along with institutions that facilitate north-south and east-west relations, all of which are vital pieces of the Good Friday Agreement. ”
US will continue to help build peace, Biden pledges
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:18 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden spoke of how compassion “had changed how this entire region sees itself”, as he called for a recommittal to peace in Northern Ireland.
“This place is transformed by peace, made technicolour by peace, made whole by peace, Mr Biden told his Belfast audience.
“So today, I come to Belfast to pledge for all the people of Northern Ireland, the United States of America will continue to be your partner in building the future the young people of our world deserve.
“It matters to us, to Americans, and to me personally. It genuinely matters.
“So let’s celebrate 25 extraordinary years by recommitting to renewal, repair, by making this exceptional peace a birth right of every child in Northern Ireland for all the days to come.
“That is what we should be doing, God willing you’ll be able to do it. Thank you all for listening and may God bring you the peace we need.”
President calls for restoration of power-sharing
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:15 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden called for the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont in his Belfast address.
Standing for peace and rejecting political violence must be done, he told his audience.
“The enemies of peace will not prevail.”
The lesson of the Good Friday Agreement was that when things were broken, hope was needed most. It showed there was hope for repair.
Biden hails Sunak’s leadership on Brexit
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:14 , Jane Dalton
Young people in Northern Ireland were at the cutting edge of technology and becoming entrepreneurs, Joe Biden told the audience in Belfast.
He acknowledged Brexit created complex challenges but he hailed the “personal leadership” of Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen.
US people and businesses invested in Northern Ireland, says Biden
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:07 , Jane Dalton
Joe Biden is giving a historic address in Northern Ireland, saying people across the US are “deeply invested” in the success of both north and south of the island of Ireland.
Speaking at Ulster University, the US president said: “Your history is our history but more importantly, your future is our future.”
Peace and economic opportunity go together, he said.
Many businesses wanted to invest, and had already invested $2bn.
What is Joe Biden’s Irish heritage?
Wednesday 12 April 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Joe Biden has arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to mark the 25-year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
For an American president with deep Irish roots, it won’t be a typical trip to the ancestral homeland.
Mr Biden is expected to meet representatives from five Northern Irish political parties at a time when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is continuing to boycott the devolved power-sharing government in Stormont in protest at post-Brexit trading rules that treat the province differently to the rest of the UK.
What is Joe Biden’s Irish heritage?
Biden meets with leaders of five of Northern Ireland’s largest political parties
Wednesday 12 April 2023 12:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
US President Joe Biden has met with the leaders of the five largest political parties in Northern Ireland after arriving at the Ulster University campus in Belfast.
Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Alliance leader Naomi Long, UUP leader Doug Beattie and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood each met with the president briefly.
Mr Biden is due to deliver an address at the university’s new £350 million campus.
I’m here to listen, says Joe Biden
Wednesday 12 April 2023 11:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The US president has told reporters he is “here to listen” as he met Rishi Sunak at the Grand Central Hotel in central Belfast.
Joe Biden faced a volley of questions from reporters – including whether he had a message for Northern Irish parties and why he was not discussing a trade deal while on his visit to the UK.
Mr Biden also said: “Heck of a view out there.” Mr Sunak, smiling, sat at a table with the US president as the pair met over cups of tea.
Biden says he is here to ‘listen’ as he meets Sunak in Belfast
Wednesday 12 April 2023 11:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
US President Joe Biden said he was here to “listen”, as he met Rishi Sunak for a face-to-face meeting in Belfast.
Mr Biden will mark the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace deal in Belfast today and highlight his “strong desire” to increase U.S. investment there in meetings with political leaders, a senior U.S. official said.
Joe Biden is ‘anti-British’ pro-Irish nationalist, says DUP
Wednesday 12 April 2023 11:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
DUP politicians have attacked Joe Biden as “anti-British” and pro-Irish Republican as they again resisted pressure to resume powersharing at Stormont.
Senior unionist party figures spoke out against the US president as he arrived in Northern Ireland for a brief visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
“Joe Biden hates the UK – I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” former DUP first minister of Northern Ireland Dame Arlene Foster told GB News.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson said Mr Biden, a Catholic who had played up his Irish roots, was “anti-British”, adding: “He is pro-republican and he has made his antipathy towards Protestants in particular very well known.”
Adam Forrest reports:
Joe Biden is ‘anti-British’ pro-Irish nationalist, says DUP
Biden ‘not anti-British,’ US insists
Wednesday 12 April 2023 10:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The US has insisted President Joe Biden is “not anti-British” on his historic four-day visit to Ireland.
Mr Biden is in Northern Ireland to participate in marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to this part of the United Kingdom, as a new political crisis tests the strength of that peace.
However, he came under fire by Sammy Wilson, a DUP lawmaker in the U.K. Parliament, who told Talk TV that the US president “has got a record of being pro-republican, anti-unionist, anti-British.”
Amanda Sloat, the Democratic president’s top adviser on European affairs, responded to the criticism saying: “The track record of the president shows he’s not anti-British.
She added that “the UK remains one of out strongest and closest allies”.
Biden and Sunak not expected to discuss free trade agreement this morning
Wednesday 12 April 2023 10:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
US president Joe Biden and prime minister Rishi Sunak are not expected to discuss a free trade agreement during their meeting in Northern Ireland this morning, it has been indicated.
It will be the third in-person meeting between the two leaders.
In a briefing to journalists, Amanda Sloat, senior director for Europe at the US National Security Council, said the focus of the meeting will be Northern Ireland, as well as touching on the war in Ukraine.
“I don’t anticipate that the two leaders are going to be talking about a free trade agreement on this trip ... I think their conversation is going to focus primarily on the situation in Northern Ireland given that that’s where they’re meeting, as well as the chance to touch base on Ukraine and some other issues,” she said.
Ms Sloat said the two leaders had the opportunity to touch briefly on economic issues when they met in San Diego, a conversation which she said will be “furthered and deepened” when they meet in Washington in June.
“We’re continually looking for ways to engage with the UK on a whole range of economic issues,” she added.
Sinn Fein president calls for a stop on ‘this sense of limbo’ as Biden visits Ireland
Wednesday 12 April 2023 09:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said there was a need to “stop this sense of limbo” in relation to the Stormont powersharing Assembly.
She told Sky News: “I think undoubtedly President Biden will reflect on the great success of the last 25 years building peace.
“I think he will obviously reflect also on the huge role of the United States of America in that.
“I have no doubt that he perhaps shares certainly my disappointment, Sinn Fein’s disappointment that on this occasion marking 25 years of the peace accord, that the institutions aren’t up and running, that we still don’t have government in Belfast and that the DUP continues its boycott.
“So I hope there will be a very positive forward-looking message, I have no doubt there will be, but also a very clear message that now is the time to end the boycott, to stop this sense of limbo and to deliver for people in the north of Ireland of all political persuasions the government that they deserve. We’re nearly a year on now from the election last May.”
She described US President Joe Biden‘s visit as “very significant”, adding: “I think throughout this process over many, many decades the importance of international partners in making peace in Ireland has been absolutely essential and none more so than the United States of America.”
What is Joe Biden’s Irish heritage?
Wednesday 12 April 2023 08:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The US president, who was born and raised among Irish-Americans in Scranton, Pennsylvania, rarely misses an opportunity to express his pride in his heritage or quote one of the many Irish poets he admires such as WB Yeats and Seamus Heaney.
”Every time I’d walk out of his house in Scranton, when I lived there for a while, he’d look at me and say, ‘Joey, remember, the best drop of blood in you is Irish,’” he said of his grandfather on St Patrick’s Day last month.
Mr Biden last visited the island of Ireland in 2016 while serving as Barack Obama’s vice president but traces his roots, on his mother’s side of the family, all the way back to Edward Blewitt, his great-great-great-grandfather, of County Mayo and to the Finnegan family of County Louth “who boarded coffin ships to cross the Atlantic more than 165 years ago”, in his telling.
What is Joe Biden’s Irish heritage?
Watch: Rishi Sunak greets Joe Biden as US president lands in Belfast
Wednesday 12 April 2023 08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland for anniversary ‘significant’, says Blair
Wednesday 12 April 2023 07:00 , Sam Rkaina
Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair has described Joe Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland as “significant” as the US President is due to arrive on Tuesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The ex-Labour leader spoke of the importance of using “the American influence on the process with care and with sensitivity” adding “there’s a difference between influencing and pressurising and the one tends to be positive and the other can be negative”.
Mr Biden is expected to meet members of Stormont’s main political parties as part of a visit he said will underscore his nation’s “commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity” in Northern Ireland.
Sir Tony told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, it is significant. You’ve got to use the American influence on the process with care and with sensitivity.
“I obviously had a very close relationship with President Clinton outside of the peace process, but I found him immensely helpful.
“He would immediately understand strategically what was important and what wasn’t and the Americans can play an important part of this, but you’ve just got to be, you’ve got to insert them at the right moment and in the right place.”
West of Ireland on Friday
Wednesday 12 April 2023 06:00 , Sam Rkaina
Friday:
– The president will travel to the west of Ireland, where he will tour the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock and visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit.
– The visit will conclude when Mr Biden makes a public speech at St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina.
Mr Biden’s great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt sold 27,000 bricks to the cathedral in 1827, which helped him to afford to buy tickets for himself and his family to sail to America decades later in 1851.
Thursday itinerary
Wednesday 12 April 2023 05:00 , Sam Rkaina
Thursday:
– The US president will meet Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park. The park will be closed for 24 hours to accommodate the visit. Mr Biden will also take part in a tree-planting ceremony and a ringing of the Peace Bell.
– Mr Biden will travel for talks with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whom he recently hosted at the White House on St Patrick’s Day.
– He will then address the Dail, becoming the fourth US president to do so – following John F Kennedy in 1963, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1995.
– On Thursday evening, Mr Biden will attend a banquet dinner in his honour at Dublin Castle.
Packed itinerary for four-day visit of Joe Biden to island of Ireland
Wednesday 12 April 2023 04:00 , Sam Rkaina
Wednesday:
– The president will hold bilateral talks with Mr Sunak in Belfast in the morning.
– Mr Biden is also expected to hold talks with Northern Ireland’s main political parties. The powersharing Assembly established by the Good Friday Agreement is currently not operating due to a protest by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) over post-Brexit trading arrangements.
– In his main engagement in Northern Ireland, Mr Biden will deliver a keynote speech at Ulster University’s new £350 million Belfast campus. The president tweeted that he would use the occasion to underscore his nation’s “commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity” in the region.
– Mr Biden will then cross the border. He will travel to Co Louth where he has ancestral roots. His great-grandfather Owen Finnegan left the county for the US in the 1840s. During the visit, he county, he will tour Carlingford Castle.
– Mr Biden will stay overnight in Dublin.
‘Big own goal’ for Stormont during Biden’s visit
Wednesday 12 April 2023 03:00 , Liam James
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said it was a “big own goal” that the Northern Ireland Assembly is not operating for the visit of US President Joe Biden.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, the former Irish premier and Fianna Fail leader was asked if he was disappointed with the duration of Mr Biden‘s visit and the fact that the US president would not be addressing Stormont.
Northern Ireland’s executive has not been sitting since the powersharing agreement between major parties broke down after last year’s elections.
Mr Ahern said: “I am very disappointed with that. I mean, the whole idea when this visit was mooted last year was that we would try and resolve the issues between the European Union and the UK.
“Then we weren’t making much progress on that until October, then Rishi Sunak came in. So it is a huge pity and a huge disappointment that the president of the free world, the United States, is not addressing the assembly, there’s no good hiding that fact. It’s a big own goal in my view.
Sunak to recognise heart transplant boy on Northern Ireland trip
Wednesday 12 April 2023 02:00 , Liam James
Rishi Sunak is to personally present a six-year-old boy who is awaiting a heart transplant with an award recognising his “outstanding” contribution to his community.
The presentation to Daithi Mac Gabhann is one of the Prime Minister’s engagements coinciding with US President Joe Biden‘s visit to Northern Ireland.
A new organ donation law for Northern Ireland is named in honour of the Belfast boy in recognition of his and his family’s campaign for law changes.
Mr Sunak will meet Daithi and his family as part of the Prime Minister’s daily Points of Light award.
No formal meeting with Biden for Northern Ireland’s parties, says White House
Wednesday 12 April 2023 01:00 , Liam James
The White House said there will not be a formal group meeting between US president Joe Biden and Northern Ireland’s five main political parties.
He will have an opportunity to engage with the leaders of the parties ahead of a speech on Wednesday at Ulster University.
Joe Biden to meet Northern Ireland leaders as US ‘nudges’ DUP to end Brexit stand-off
Wednesday 12 April 2023 00:00 , Liam James
Joe Biden is set to meet the leaders of Northern Ireland’s political parties in Belfast on Wednesday ahead of a speech to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (Adam Forrest writes).
The US president will hold an informal meeting with the leaders of the five parties at the start of his four-day trip, The Independent understands.
A top ally of President Biden said the US administration would “prod” and “nudge” the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its protest over post-Brexit trading arrangements and resume its participation in the power-sharing institutions at Stormont.
Dozens of police officers and secret service vehicles descended on Belfast in a major security operation ahead of the visit.
Click here for the full story:
Joe Biden to meet Northern Ireland leaders as US ‘nudges’ DUP
Biden on the tarmac: In pictures
Tuesday 11 April 2023 23:20 , Liam James
More photographs have come through of the opening moments of the US president’s trip to Northern Ireland.
Biden's family trip
Tuesday 11 April 2023 22:45 , Liam James
Besides reaffirming his commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, Joe Biden will use his Northern Ireland trip to reconnect with his roots.
The president often speaks proudly of his Irish heritage and has traced his ancestry back to County Louth in the Republic of Ireland, where he will head tomorrow to visit the site of family graves.
His son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden Owen are believed to be accompanying him for the trip.
Mr Biden previously visited Ireland in June 2016 as vice-president to Barack Obama.
Tuesday 11 April 2023 22:20 , Liam James
Joe Biden left the airfield at RAF Aldergrove in an armoured car after meeting Rishi Sunak.
UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris was also present as Mr Biden alighted from the aircraft with US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy.
The US president will carry out several other engagements across the week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which largely brought an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1998.
Full story: Joe Biden meets Rishi Sunak as he lands in Northern Ireland as part of historic four-day trip
Tuesday 11 April 2023 22:00 , Liam James
US president Joe Biden has landed in Belfast as part of a historic four-day trip to the island of Ireland (Cillian Sherlock writes).
He was greeted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after Air Force One landed at RAF Aldergrove on Tuesday night.
The two leaders met briefly before the president drove away in an armoured car amid a light scattering of snow.
Click here for the full story:
Watch: Biden touches down in Northern Ireland
Tuesday 11 April 2023 21:45 , Liam James
Joe Biden touched down in Northern Ireland minutes ago. The US president was filmed descending the steps of Air Force One before meeting Rishi Sunak.
Biden greeted by Sunak
Tuesday 11 April 2023 21:32 , Liam James
Rishi Sunak was waiting on the tarmac in County Antrim as Air Force One touched down.
Joe Biden left the plane and walked over to the British prime minister.
The pair shook hands and exchanged a few words.
Tuesday 11 April 2023 21:21 , Sam Rkaina
US President Joe Biden has touched down at a military base in County Antrim as he begins a four-day visit to the island of Ireland.
Biden has said he will use his visit to the island of Ireland to “keep the peace”, as he left the US for his four-day trip.
The US president invoked the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and the recently negotiated Windsor Framework as he prepared to set off for Northern Ireland.
No formal meeting between Biden and Northern Ireland’s five main parties
Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:37 , Sam Rkaina
The White House said there will not be a formal group meeting between US President Joe Biden and Northern Ireland’s five main political parties.
Mr Biden is due to land in Northern Ireland on Tuesday night.
He will have an opportunity to engage with the leaders of the parties ahead of a speech on Wednesday at Ulster University.
Northern Ireland Assembly not operating is “big own goal”
Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:37 , Sam Rkaina
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern said it was a “big own goal” that the Northern Ireland Assembly is not operating for the visit of US President Joe Biden.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, the former Irish premier and Fianna Fail leader was asked if he was disappointed with the duration of Mr Biden’s visit and the fact that the US president would not be addressing Stormont.
He said: “I am very disappointed with that. I mean, the whole idea when this visit was mooted last year was that we would try and resolve the issues between the European Union and the UK.
“Then we weren’t making much progress on that until October, then Rishi Sunak came in. So it is a huge pity and a huge disappointment that the president of the free world, the United States, is not addressing the assembly, there’s no good hiding that fact. It’s a big own goal in my view.”
Partner of murdered journalist says its “pathetic and sad” violence has erupted in Northern Ireland again
Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:17 , Sam Rkaina
The partner of murdered journalist Lyra McKee has said it is “pathetic and sad” that violence has erupted in Northern Ireland again.
Easter weekend saw a police Land Rover come under attack, with masked youths throwing petrol bombs and launching fireworks before it drove off in flames.
US President Joe Biden is visiting Northern Ireland as part of a series of engagements to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Sara Canning condemned the violence and believes the Good Friday Agreement is in peril due to the political vacuum in the province which also risks rendering the Biden visit meaningless.
In an interview with Channel 4 News on Tuesday about events over the weekend, she said: “If I’m honest, I’m not surprised, it’s Easter and it’s only been almost four years since Lyra was killed in a similar kind of a circumstance.
“It’s really pathetic and it’s sad that we are back there again.
“The people of Creggan deserve better, the people in Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole deserve better, but there’s always going to be that minority that are going to drag us back and do something that we, none of us, want to be a part of.
“And it’s really sad, you look at the demographics again and it’s all young kids.
“The people behind that, the paramilitaries, will tell you those children support this and they understand.
“They don’t understand, they’re there because there’s nothing else for them to do. They’re bored. They’re off school and they’re running the streets wild.”
Ms McKee was killed almost four years ago.
Police chairman hits out over suspected pipebombs found in cemetery
Tuesday 11 April 2023 20:01 , Sam Rkaina
Police Federation for Northern Ireland chairman Liam Kelly said the placement of four suspected pipe bombs inside a cemetery in Creggan is a clear statement of intent to cause harm to police officers.
Mr Kelly said: “They don’t mind who gets hurt as they plough on with their redundant agenda. They don’t care if innocent people get seriously injured or killed.
“They are callous individuals who would drag the Creggan and the city back to the dark ages of bitter and pointless conflict. They seek to wreak havoc and exercise ruthless control over a community that deserves better.
“I want to praise the steadfast and dedicated work of my colleagues. Furthermore, I would appeal to the many decent people in Creggan to tell the police who the ringleaders are so that they can work to prevent them from inflicting devastating harm.
“These gangs have nothing to offer the community. They inspire unrest, paranoia and tell tall tales. They bully and mislead young people and use them as cannon fodder armed with petrol bombs and bricks.
“It’s high time these thugs were rejected, shunned and placed before the courts so they can be put where they belong, behind bars. This will ensure that the community can live in peace and work collaboratively to build a better future for everyone.”
Biden visit will “underscore the importance” of US-Irish relations
Tuesday 11 April 2023 19:47 , Sam Rkaina
US ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin said Joe Biden will “underscore the importance” of US-Irish relations.
“I think it’s very well known that he has a great fondness and affection for this country, the home of his ancestors,” she said. “But it’s also a time for him to underscore the importance of the US-Irish relationship, which remains so strong always.”
Speaking to RTE, Ms Cronin said the “excitement is palpable” in Mr Biden’s ancestral homeland of Co Mayo.
“I mean, there are flags in the windows. Wherever you go, people are talking about it, they’re excited about it and I know he will be too,” she said.
She added that festivities and “great entertainment” in Ballina will commence at around 7pm on Friday.
“The Chieftains are reuniting for a special show after we lost Paddy Moloney,” she said. “It’ll be very emotional for them to be back together for the first time since then, so we’re really looking forward to that.”
She added that the embassy had put out the “Infant of Prague” as part of a tradition in hope of good weather.
Small Irish town prepares for president’s trip
Tuesday 11 April 2023 19:11 , Liam James
Joe Biden is set to reconnect with his roots at Carlingford Castle tomorrow.
The town of Carlingford has been busy ahead of his arrival, hanging US flags and messages welcoming the president.
The US president has relatives buried in nearby Templetown.
Biden-Sunak talks won’t be ‘low-key’, Downing Street insists
Tuesday 11 April 2023 17:30 , Liam James
Downing Street has denied that Rishi Sunak’s interactions with Joe Biden in Northern Ireland this week are “low-key”, despite reports their talks were downgraded by the US.
The prime minister will greet the US president off Air Force One when he arrives this evening, with talks to follow in Belfast the next morning.
The White House pushed to scale back their meeting from a bilateral to a less formal coffee, The New York Times reported, quoting an official jokingly dubbing it a “bi-latte”.
Asked why the plans appeared low-key, a No 10 spokesman told reporters: “I wouldn’t characterise it as that. As I’ve said the prime minister will see him tonight, he will see him again tomorrow.
“You’ve seen the president’s actions during his time demonstrate that we have a close relationship. His first visit outside of North America was to the UK, where he met both the Queen and the Prince of Wales.”
“We continue to have an incredibly positive working relationship with the president and the US government.”
Biden and Sunak must discuss Troubles bill, says Amnesty
Tuesday 11 April 2023 17:00 , Liam James
Government plans to deal with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland should be on the agenda when Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden, Amnesty International has said.
The human rights organisation has called on the prime minister to scrap its Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, stating that it erodes the Good Friday Agreement.
The legislation proposes offering immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body.
It would also would stop future court processes or inquests.
Along with Amnesty International, victims’ groups have expressed opposition to the Bill. Several protests have taken place over the last several weeks, with victims’ families carrying banners and placards demanding truth and justice for loved ones.
Biden says he will ‘keep the peace’ on Ireland trip
Tuesday 11 April 2023 16:26 , Liam James
Joe Biden said he will use his visit to the island of Ireland to “keep the peace”, as he left the US for his four-day trip.
The US president invoked the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and the recently negotiated Windsor Framework, which changes Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading rules.
Mr Biden, speaking to reporters before his departure, said that his top priority was to “make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor Agreement stay in place, keep the peace”.
“That’s the main thing,” he said.
Mr Biden will arrive in Northern Ireland later this evening.
Good Friday Agreement: Biden 'very excited' for his four-day visit to Ireland
Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:36 , Joe Middleton
What are Joe Biden’s Irish roots?
Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:18 , Joe Middleton
Joe Biden will arrive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday evening to mark the 25-year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
For an American president with deep Irish roots, it won’t be a typical trip to the ancestral homeland.
Mr Biden is expected to meet representatives from five Northern Irish political parties at a time when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is continuing to boycott the devolved power-sharing government in Stormont in protest at post-Brexit trading rules that treat the province differently to the rest of the UK.
Joe Sommerlad has the details.
What are Joe Biden’s Irish roots?
Co Mayo town ‘buzzing’ ahead of Biden visit, says relative of US president
Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:09 , Joe Middleton
The town of Ballina in Co Mayo will never have witnessed anything like the visit of Joe Biden, a relative of the US president has said.
Joe Blewitt, a third cousin of Mr Biden, said there is a “great buzz” in the area ahead of the president’s arrival.
Preparations are well under way for the event on Friday, which will be the culmination of Mr Biden’s trip to the island of Ireland.
Co Mayo town ‘buzzing’ ahead of Biden visit, says relative of US president
Huge security operation for Joe Biden visit underway
Tuesday 11 April 2023 15:04 , Joe Middleton
Dozens of police officers and secret service vehicles descended on Belfast on Tuesday morning in a major security operation ahead of US President Joe Biden‘s visit.
Bedford Street was closed to traffic, along with several side streets surrounding the Grand Central Hotel.
The street remained open to pedestrians as dozens of police and a number of armoured vehicles filled the area.
There were also several police vehicles surrounding Ulster University.
Mr Biden was due to visit the university’s new building on Wednesday before heading to the Republic of Ireland.
Anne Tennyson, from Belfast, welcomed the visit, despite the extensive security measures.
“I think it’s great, it’s great to see him coming here,” she said.
“It’s fantastic. Belfast has cleaned itself up and prepared for it and it’s looking great.”
