President Joe Biden said preserving peace in Northern Ireland is a “priority” for the United States as he promised “opportunity” and “investment” in the region.
Marking the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast, President Biden told the audience “the American people are with you every step of the way”.
He said: “Supporting the people of Northern Ireland, preserving peace in Northern Ireland […] is a priority.”
President Biden added that Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal will lead to “significant investment” in Northern Ireland as the negotiators took into account what businesses wanted.
He said he wanted to see more opportunity in the region and announced United States Special Envoy Joe Kennedy would lead a trade delegation of US companies to Northern Ireland later this year.
President Biden was speaking after having met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier in Belfast.
Mr Sunak said he had a “very good discussion” with President Biden about economic investment in Northern Ireland as well as foreign policy issues.
“That comes on the back of a meeting I had with him last month in the US, I’m seeing him again next month at the G7 and then I’m going to Washington in June; we’re very close partners and allies, we co-operate on a range of things, whether that’s supporting Ukraine or economic security,” he said.
“I think actually the relationship is in great shape, and the President and I have lots that we’re working on together.”
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