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Could Rishi’s Brexit breakthrough unlock the US trade deal? Joe Biden hails Northern Ireland’s new terms as ‘essential step’ to protect Good Friday Agreement after ‘Special Relationship’ tensions
- Joe Biden welcomed progress on the Brexit deal protecting the Good Friday Agreement
- The breakthrough could unlock stalled trade talks with the US.
Joe Biden has hailed Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal as an “essential step” to protect the Good Friday Deal.
The US president welcomed the new terms for Northern Ireland, which has caused tensions in the Special Relationship for years.
The warm comments could revive hopes for a transatlantic trade deal, stalled since Biden entered the White House.
It paves the way for the president to visit the province this spring as part of the events marking the 25th anniversary of the GFA.
In a statement overnight, Biden said the deal was an “essential step to ensure that the hard-won peace and progress of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement is preserved and strengthened.”
Joe Biden has hailed Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal as an “essential step” to protect the Good Friday Deal
Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen unveiled new terms for Northern Ireland yesterday
He said: “I appreciate the efforts of leaders and officials on all sides who have worked tirelessly to find a way forward that protects Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market, as well as the EU single market, in benefit all communities in Northern Ireland.
“I am confident that the people and businesses of Northern Ireland will be able to take full advantage of the economic opportunities created by this stability and certainty, and the United States stands ready to support the region’s enormous economic potential.”
Biden’s endorsement is a significant boost for Sunak. The US president has long taken an interest in the peace process in Northern Ireland and has spoken often about his own Irish heritage.
The Prime Minister’s deal removes trade barriers for Northern Ireland and gives the UK a “veto” over EU legislation, but is awaiting approval from the DUP and other unionists.
‘Northern Ireland can achieve the extraordinary when its leaders work together for a common cause. And I hope, like everyone else, that Northern Ireland’s political institutions will soon be up and running again. Those institutions embody the principle of shared, decentralized, representative government at the core of the Good Friday Agreement,” Biden said.
“As Northern Ireland prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Agreement in April, let us remember that ending decades of conflict was neither easy nor inevitable. It required hard work and determination, and an unshakable belief that a better future was possible.
‘Today, a whole generation of young people have grown up knowing only possibility and growing prosperity: the hard-won dividend of peace. I am deeply proud of the role the United States has played over the decades in helping to achieve, preserve, and strengthen that peace enshrined in the Agreement.
The government hopes that the new terms will lead to the restoration of power sharing in NI
“And I look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in Northern Ireland, the UK and Irish governments and the European Union, to promote that peace and prosperity.”
Emmanuel Macron welcomed the agreement between the EU and the UK on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The French president tweeted: “The UK and the European Union have just reached an agreement on the implementation of the post-Brexit framework in Northern Ireland.
“I welcome this important decision, which will preserve the Good Friday Agreement and protect our European internal market.”