Biden moves Good Friday Agreement trip forward as he marks US's role on 25th anniversary

US President Joe Biden has moved forward his visit to Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Biden, who will visit either side of the border on his five-day trip, is expected touch down on April 11, one week earlier than originally planned.

The President, who has ancestral links to Ireland, has frequently stressed the importance of the Good Friday Agreement, the US-brokered accords that helped bring about peace on the island after decades of cross-community violence.

Former world leaders will meet at Queen's University in Belfast to celebrate the accords and the work of former US senator John Mitchell, who helped bridge the divide between unionist and nationalist politicians during the historic talks.

Mr Biden is expected to meet former and current high-profile politicians, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair and former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, all of whom played a vital role in the deal in 1998.

The visit, which comes after an invitation by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will also be used to bolster transatlantic trade between the US, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

It will be the first US presidential visit to Ireland since Donald Trump's in 2019.

The change of date that means that a proposed meeting with King Charles may not go ahead, although Buckingham Palace and the White House have yet to comment publicly on the matter.

The king is then expected in Ireland some weeks after Mr Biden, echoing the state visits by Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II in 2011.

President Joe Biden (L) and Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during the annual St Patrick's Day meeting at the White House. AP

The US President and Irish leader Leo Varadkar will have a meeting in Dublin where they will reaffirm their support for the agreement, which they have previously said has been threatened by Britain's decision to leave the EU.

Mr Biden is then expected to conclude his visit with a three or four-day holiday in the west of Ireland, where he has family links. The trip is expected to be the longest of his presidency so far.

Arrangements for the visit have been complicated by the decision to raise Northern Ireland's security level to severe after attacks against police officers by dissident republicans in recent months.

The move, which was based on MI5 intelligence, signifies an attack is considered highly likely.

In March last year it was reduced from severe to substantial for the first time since it was first published in 2010.

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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.