Adedokun Waliyu 
US President Joe Biden will begin a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in Belfast on 11 April, the White House has confirmed.
President Biden will begin his trip in Belfast to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He will also hold various engagements, including in Dublin, County Louth, and County Mayo.
The President is also expected to meet Irish President Michael D Higgins.
In a statement, the White House said the President will travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland from 11-14 April adding that the trip would mark “the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago”.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported the official visit may include government receptions for President Biden at Farmleigh House and Dublin Castle.
It is also believed the US president will attend the Irish presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, to meet President Michael D Higgins.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said it was expected that President Biden would address the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) on Thursday.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar said he was “delighted” that President Biden would be visiting Ireland.
“When we spoke recently in the White House, President Biden was clear that in celebrating the Good Friday Agreement, we should be looking ahead, not backwards,” he said.
He said the involvement of the United States and of President Biden personally had been “essential to the peace process in Ireland”.
“From its earliest uncertain beginnings to the making of the Good Friday Agreement, in good days and bad, the US has always been at our side,” said Mr Varadkar.
“So it’s fitting that President Biden will be here to mark this significant milestone with us.”
In 2016, Joe Biden visited the Republic of Ireland during his time as vice president, and went on a tour of his ancestral home in County Mayo.
Last week, the president said he still planned to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5’s decision to increase the terrorism threat level to “severe”.
During next week’s visit the president will hold various engagements in the Republic of Ireland, including those in Dublin, County Louth and County Mayo, where he will “deliver an address to celebrate the deep, historic ties that link our countries and people.”
