Biden to Host Irish Prime Minister Varadkar, Affirm Peace Accords

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Facts

  • US Pres. Biden is set to meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Friday to discuss the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and the recent deal between the UK and EU on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.1
  • Biden, who often speaks with pride of his Irish roots, welcomed last month's agreement, describing it as an 'essential step' to ensuring that the peace from the Good Friday Agreement was preserved.1
  • Vardkar was invited to the White House for a St. Patrick's Day celebration and to also discuss the war in Ukraine, among other issues. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the Windsor Framework, which was agreed upon last month, is an important step in preserving peace in Northern Ireland.2
  • During a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Biden affirmed earlier this week that he intends to visit both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the agreement, which ended 30 years of violence on the island known as the Troubles.3
  • Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, Northern Ireland functionally stayed in the EU market when the UK decided to leave the EU. The Windsor Framework will keep goods moving without upending the Good Friday Agreement, which is predicated on there being no physical border between the North and the Republic.4
  • However, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is the largest pro-UK party in Northern Ireland, said that Biden's upcoming visit will not be considered a deadline for its judgment on the post-Brexit trade agreement. The party has refused to resume power-sharing with nationalists for a year in protest of trade terms, as well as other matters.5

Sources: 1Reuters, 2Msn, 3Ft, 4Daily Mail and 5Barrons.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Irish echo newspaper. Biden's commitment to peace in Northern Ireland is admirable and is definitely a positive development in maintaining the principles of the Good Friday Agreement which ended a violent chapter in Ireland's modern history. Though Brexit threatened the status quo in Northern Ireland, with good policy and diplomacy any violations of the agreement can be avoided with prosperity and peace being maintained.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The telegraph. Joe Biden's Irish background is clouding his judgment on Brexit and the Northern Irish Protocol. Everyone knows that violence is not going to just explode in Northern Ireland, and the hyperbolic reactions from Democratic politicians is unnecessary. The US does not have the right or authority to lecture Westminster on how it conducts its negotiations with the corrupt EU and the Biden admin. should take a step back.