ROW CASTS SHADOW ON BIDEN VISIT TO BELFAST

HE WOOS UNIONISTS AFTER POWER SHARING RIFT

- Nicholas Cecil 

JOE BIDEN sought to reach out as a “friend” to Unionists in Northern Ireland today amid warnings against America intervening in the power sharing row.

The US president was on a brief visit to Belfast with the main focus on marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). He was also due to hold talks with the five main political parties, as well as a “bi-latte” coffee meeting with Rishi Sunak.

Amanda Sloat, senior director for Europe on the US National Security Council, said: “The president’s message, I expect he will reaffirm today... is the United States’ strong support for that (the GFA) and belief that the people of Northern Ireland deserve to have democratically-elected, power-sharing representative governance.

“The president comes here very much as a friend, as a supporter of Northern Ireland, and supporter of peace in Northern Ireland, to convey a message of support from the United States for those institutions and for the process here.” However, Ms Sloat stopped short of denying that Mr Biden backed Irish reunification, as suspected by some Unionists. Asked about this, she responded: “The president is a strong supporter of the Good Friday Agreement and the Good Friday Agreement includes mechanisms by which the people of Northern Ireland can make that decision for themselves.”