Sunak to invite Biden to Northern Ireland for Good Friday agreement anniversary

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he plans to invite President Biden to Northern Ireland next month for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. 

Sunak told reporters during a trip to California that he hopes Biden will accept his invitation to attend the anniversary, according to The Guardian, which had previously reported on Biden’s plans to visit Belfast next month.

“I’ll be keen to invite [Biden] to come. It’s not confirmed yet. But it will be something that obviously I’ll be talking to him about,” Sunak told reporters. “Hopefully he will be able to make it.”

The Good Friday agreement was struck on April 10, 1998, between former British and Irish prime ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern and former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine). 

Sunak also said a potential Biden visit would be a “nice way” to mark the anniversary of the agreement, highlighting his recent breakthrough on the Northern Ireland protocol in post-Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

“I was very keen to try and bring resolution to some of the challenges of the protocol and … do the right thing for the people and businesses there,” Sunak added. 

Sunak won a leadership contest to become prime minister in October, replacing former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who resigned from her role after spending 45 days in office. 

Biden stressed protecting the Good Friday agreement during a meeting with Truss last September. 

“We are both committed to protecting the gains from the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to hearing what’s on your mind and how we can continue to cooperate,” Biden said at the meeting.