US President Joe Biden delivered a speech at the Irish Parliament on the 13th (local time) and declared, “I have come home.”
According to the BBC, President Biden said this in a joint speech to the Irish Senate and House of Representatives that day and said, “I returned to my ancestral home. The only wish is to stay longer.”
President Biden continued his speech about his pride in his Irish roots and his support for the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Regarding the Belfast (Good Friday) peace agreement, he said, “It not only changed life in Northern Ireland, but had a significant positive impact on the Republic of Ireland.” “We must not allow political violence to take over again. Peace is precious,” he stressed.
The Belfast Agreement was signed in 1998 as a peace treaty between the UK and Ireland to put an end to conflict and confrontation, which continued for about 30 years, resulting in the loss of 3,600 people in the clash between the ‘British Remains’ and ‘Independence’ in Northern Ireland. done.
Since the agreement was signed two days before Easter, it is also called the Good Friday Agreement.
He said Britain should “work more closely” with Ireland to support Northern Ireland. President Biden is the fourth US president to address the Irish Parliament.
President Biden also attended a dinner event hosted by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
Prime Minister Varadkar welcomed the idea, saying, “The United States and Ireland are united by ties of kinship as well as friendship,” adding, “We have similar pasts and philosophies.”
President Biden received a standing ovation for restating the special relationship between Ireland and the United States.
“If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough,” he said, his grandfather’s favorite saying.
“There is no barrier too thick or too strong between Ireland and the United States,” he said. “There is nothing that the two countries cannot do together.”
President Biden also visited the residence of President Michael Higgins, signed the guest book, and rang the Peace Bell, which was built in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Peace Agreement.
“I’m not going home,” he told reporters. Isn’t it a really great place? It is like the White House,” he joked.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.