Description
The US president will make a series of commitments on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement US President Joe Biden has landed in Belfast as part of a historic four-day trip to the island of Ireland. 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 off in an armored vehicle in a light snowfall.
Joe Biden was greeted by Rishi Sunak as he got off the plane in Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris was also present when Biden got off the plane with US special envoy for Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy.
The US president will make several other commitments throughout the week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended the riots in Northern Ireland in 1998.
He will meet the Prime Minister again on Wednesday for a bilateral meeting.
Leaders of Northern Ireland's main political parties will also have the chance to speak to Biden before he delivers a speech at the new £350m Ulster University campus in Belfast.
The Assemblée de partage du pouvoir de Stormont, which is located in the peace agreement, is currently not functioning in a protest against post-Brexit trade agreements by the DUP, the largest unionist party of Ireland from North.
However, the White House said there would not be a formal group meeting with the leaders.
Mr Biden landed at RAF Aldergrove on Air Force One
Sunak will not attend Biden's keynote speech as Downing Street denied on Tuesday that the engagement between the couple would be "low key".
Speaking to reporters before his departure, he said his top priority was "to make sure the Ireland Agreements and the Windsor Agreement stay in place, to keep the peace."
His son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden Owen are believed to be accompanying him on the trip.
A major security operation is due to take place for Mr Biden's visit, with over 300 officers from the rest of the UK enlisted in Northern Ireland.
Biden visits Ireland for four days
The PSNI also warned of a major traffic disruption in Belfast during the presidential visit, with several inner-city roads already closed.
Biden will also travel to the Republic of Ireland, where he will make a number of engagements during his four-day stay, including a speech in Dublin and visits to ancestral lands.
After leaving Belfast on Wednesday, Biden will cross the border to attend engagements in Co Louth.
The president has traced his ancestral roots in the region and will visit Carlingford Castle in the county before spending the night in Dublin.
The President of the United States, flanked by Mr. Sunak, meets with Robert Kennedy
He is then expected to visit Irish President Michael D. Higgins on Thursday.
It has been announced that Dublin's Phoenix Park will be closed for 24 hours from 5pm on Wednesday to facilitate visits.
The official residence of Mr. Higgins is located within the park grounds.
The White House said Biden would participate in a tree-planting ceremony and ringing of the peace bell at the president's official residence, Aras an Uachtarain.
Mr. Biden is driven away in an armored vehicle
After this ceremony, he will meet again with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whom Biden recently hosted for St. Patrick's Day.
Biden will address the Irish parliament and attend a banquet at Dublin Castle on Thursday night.
The president's trip will end on Friday with a visit to Co Mayo, where he also bonded with distant cousins.
You will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock and visit the Family History Research Unit of the North Mayo Genealogy and Heritage Center.
He will then deliver a public address at St. Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina.
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