US President Joe Biden was briefly in Northern Ireland on Wednesday morning to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. But he found a dysfunctional parliament and lacked a leader to welcome him.
It was a lightning visit that Biden made to Northern Ireland to commemorate 25 years of peace. “He would have stayed longer if that peace deal had worked 100%,” says Lia van Bekhoven from the UK. “However, one part of the agreement, which states that Ireland must govern itself, is not working.”
After all, Northern Ireland’s parliament has been closed for a year, so members of parliament were unable to be present during his visit. “This left Biden in a situation where nobody could really welcome him,” van Bekhoven said, “because there was no functioning government and no head of government in Belfast. As a result, he had to settle for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.’
Invest when governance is back
During his visit, Biden pushed for cooperation when he met with five Northern Ireland party leaders. “They discussed how to get the Northern Ireland parliament working again. Biden also said US companies would invest in Northern Ireland when there is a council again.
From Belfast, Biden flew to the Republic of Ireland. “It’s mostly a family visit. Ireland is important to Americans. There are 30 million Americans who identify as Irish.” Joe Biden is the most Irish American president, according to van Bekhoven. “He even brought his son and his sister for this visit.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
