Good Friday Agreement: Biden Gives Speech in Northern Ireland to Mark 25 Years of Peace

U.S. President Biden recently gave his speech in Belfast, Northern Ireland to commemorate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement. The key foundation of the peace agreement is to reinstate the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.

On April 12, U.S. President Joe Biden had given his speech to commemorate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, the Northern Ireland Assembly is still suspended for a dispute in the Brexit trade, hence, the speech was given at the Ulster University campus downtown.

According to Harrison, nonetheless, the choice of venue for Biden’s speech over the Good Friday Agreement was symbolic. This is because the U.S. President’s speech to the university students about the future of Northern Ireland is as important as its past. There had been decades of violence between the Nationalists and the Unionists of the region which made Northern Ireland’s politics broken and its peace fragile.

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Biden’s Speech over the Good Friday Agreement

According to Liptak, fortunately, Biden’s speech did not disregard the tensions that continue in Northern Ireland even 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed. Instead, as the key foundation of the peace agreement, the U.S. President personally called for both parties in Northern Ireland to reinstate the power-sharing government. These parties include those who prefer a united Ireland and those who want to still be a part of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Biden also recalled the U.S. Capitol insurrection last January 6, 2021, where it was evident that democratic institutions require consistent support,

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