Joe Biden urges Northern Ireland leaders to restore their powersharing govt

United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (April 12) urged Northern Irish politicians torestore their powersharing government with the promise that scores of major American corporations were ready to invest in the region. Biden, who began a tour of theRepublic of Ireland, had a brief stop at Belfast. Speaking at theUlster University campus, Biden said, "Today's Belfast is the beating heart of Northern Ireland and is poised to drive unprecedented economic opportunity. There are scores of major American corporations wanting to come here wanting to invest," the news agency Reuters reported.

Biden said that powersharingremained critical to the future of Northern Ireland and that an effective devolved government would "draw even greater opportunity in this region."

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"So I hope the assembly and the executive will soon be restored. That's a judgment for you to make, not me, but I hope it happens," the US president added.

Joe Biden's brief stop at Belfastwas against the backdrop of the latest political stalemate in which the devolved powersharing government, an important part of the 1998 peace deal, has not met for over a year because of a row aboutpost-Brexit trade arrangements.

The 1998 peace dealwas backed by the USand largely ended three decades of bloodshed between mainly Catholic nationalist opponents and mainly Protestant unionist supporters of British rule. However, political progress has been held back by a series of rows, most recently over how Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) affects the border with EU member Ireland.

Bidensaid the recent Windsor Framework deal between the EU and Britain to ease post-Brexit trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK the stability and predictability to encourage greater investment.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the US president about incredible economic opportunitiesfor Northern Ireland, their hope that powersharing would be restored as soon as possible, and described both countries as very close partners.

(With inputs from agencies)

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