UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet US President Joe Biden in Northern Ireland on Tuesday as the pair mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
In a statement from 10 Downing Street, Mr Sunak outlined his plans for the commemorations, and stressed his commitment to the Agreement’s “promise of a better future”.
The Good Friday Agreement ended a violent, 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland, with the creation of a new government representing nationalists and unionists, the two warring communities.
“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days,” Mr Sunak said. “It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.”
Brexit has in recent years destabilised the political situation, as Northern Ireland is now the only part of the UK to have a border with an EU country, the Republic of Ireland.
On Tuesday evening, Mr Sunak will meet President Biden off Air Force One to welcome him to Northern Ireland. A further meeting with President Biden has been planned as part of the US President’s engagements.
On Wednesday, Mr Sunak will travel to Belfast again to address Queen’s University’s ‘Agreement 25’ conference to commemorate the anniversary.
“The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation’s history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland,” Mr Sunak said.
“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days,” he added, “It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.”
This is President Biden’s first visit to Northern Ireland since taking office. The US President often talks about his family’s Irish roots and his interest in issues related to Northern Ireland.
“The United States greatly supported the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement process and has played a pivotal role in boosting prosperity in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years,” said the statement from the Prime Minister’s office.
“The Prime Minister will use President Biden’s visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s successes and encourage further long-term investment.”
In the past decade, the United States became one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, with investments up to £1.5 billion and creating 13,000 jobs, according to the statement.
Around 1,000 US-owned businesses operate in Northern Ireland, including the US tech company Microsoft. In 2022, businesses in Northern Ireland exported goods worth more than £1 billion to the United States.
“In the past few months the economic links between the US and Northern Ireland have grown further, with companies like semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed announcing a major R&D partnership with Queen’s University Belfast,” said the statement, “Wolfspeed is based in North Carolina, a US state the UK signed a state-level trade agreement with in July last year.”
Mr Sunak said he was “relentlessly focused” on supporting economic growth in Northern Ireland. He will also announce the launch of the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year.
Belfast is currently the second biggest city for technology companies in the UK, and the summit aims to connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses.
“Northern Ireland — like the rest of the UK — is teeming with opportunities, talent and ingenuity,” Mr Sunak said. “The biggest thing we can do to improve people’s standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland, is economic growth.”
