Michelle O'Neill 'delighted to welcome Biden to Belfast' for Good Friday Agreement anniversary
Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill says she would be "delighted" to welcome US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The First Minister-elect was speaking after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak formally invited Joe Biden to make the trip in April.
As US and UK leaders met in Point Loma naval base in San Diego, President Biden said: “It’s my intention to go to Northern Ireland and the Republic.”
Ms O'Neill said the United States has been "a key partner for peace in Ireland" adding that a visit by Joe Biden "demonstrates its continued commitment, which is deeply valued".
She said: “Now that a presidential visit has been confirmed, I would be delighted to welcome President Biden to Belfast as we mark 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in a few weeks time."
Meanwhile the Taoiseach has tweeted that it is "good news that President Biden plans to visit Ireland in the near future".
Leo Varadkar added: "I look forward to discussing the visit during my meeting with the President later this week."
A visit by the US President to Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary of the 1998 peace deal has long been anticipated.
The DUP is currently boycotting the Stormont power-sharing institutions which were created following the Agreement in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Last month, the Prime Minister and President of the European Commission announced a deal - the Windsor Framework - aimed at resolving some of the outstanding issues around the protocol.
The DUP is currently deliberating on whether to accept the Windsor Framework and return to Stormont, but it is not believed the impasse will halt a presidential visit by Mr Biden.
Ms O'Neill continued: "As the eyes of the world turn to our island once more, we must use this opportunity to attract economic investment and create good jobs for our people.
"Now that agreement has been secured on the Brexit Protocol, we must keep political momentum going and restore the Executive without delay.
“There are huge opportunities before us which must be seized.”
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