The President of the United States Joe Biden will be arriving in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.
The visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and is one of many big events ongoing to mark the occasion.
A major operation to police the events around the anniversary will cost around £7 million and see 300 police officers from other parts of the UK travel to Northern Ireland.
The President of the United States Joe Biden will be arriving in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.
The visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and is one of many big events ongoing to mark the occasion.
A major operation to police the events around the anniversary will cost around £7 million and see 300 police officers from other parts of the UK travel to Northern Ireland.
“Engagements have been planned for a number of parts of the Greater Belfast area and the Prime Minister is also expected to visit Northern Ireland during this time.”
It is understood Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet the US president off Air Force One when he arrives on Tuesday evening in Belfast.
Mr Biden, intensely proud of his Irish heritage and the US’s role in the peace accord, will take part in a series of engagements in Belfast including a formal meeting with the Prime Minister.
Mr Sunak is expected to use Mr Biden’s visit to drum up long-term investment for the nation, and announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.
The Prime Minister will address the “Agreement 25” conference at Queen’s University on Wednesday before hosting a gala dinner.
It is believed Mr Biden is due to attend just one event during his visit to Northern Ireland.
On Saturday, Ulster University confirmed President Biden would give a key address at their new Belfast campus at the beginning of his visit next week.
Vice-Chancellor and President of Ulster University, Professor Paul Bartholomew said: “We are looking forward to what will be a very special day in the University’s history, and to hosting President Biden on his first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming President.
“As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, Ulster University, across all three of our campuses, is looking forward to preparing the next generation of civic, business and societal leaders.”
President Biden will also hold various engagements in Dublin, Co Louth, and Co Mayo and 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”.
An MP has suggested that dissident republicans may be planning to use Joe Biden’s visit to try and “grab a headline” with disorder and attacks on police expected on Easter Monday.
The PSNI has said it is braced for “public disorder” that could be used as “a platform to launch terrorist attacks” in Derry on Easter Monday.
Police have in recent years come under attack in rioting following Easter Monday commemoration events linked to dissident republicans in Derry.
Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, said there is “very strong community intelligence” that there may be attempts to lure police in “to serious public disorder” that could be used as a “platform to launch terrorist attacks on police as well.”
DUP MP Gregory Campbell, speaking to Belfast Live, suggested dissident republicans may be planning to capitalise on US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland – and the media attention that will bring – by launching attacks on police.
On the visit of the US President, Mr Campbell said: “This is just a guess on my part but it may well be that with Joe Biden coming, there will be increased publicity on any attacks.
“It could well be that they will deliberately time it this year to increase publicity because the world’s media will be either here or en route here. Therefore, if you wanted an opportunity to grab a headline across the world, this would be it. Now, the police hasn’t said that but my guess is that is at least part of the thinking.”
He continued: “It boils down to the public needing to support the police and give whatever information they have.
“These things don’t get organised overnight. People don’t simply turn up and then a riot ensues. This normally takes some form of planning, whether it’s petrol bombs, or some form of rubble to throw at police, or getting young people orchestrated into different areas. There is a series of organisational things that have to be undertaken and it would appear that police are aware of that given that Singleton has made these comments.
“We all need to be very, very aware of what is possibly about to happen and ensure that police get the support they need to try and stop it.”
People can expect some traffic disruption during the President’s visit and a PSNI spokesperson said officers were putting in place an appropriate policing operation.
“We are engaging with local communities and business who may be impacted,” a spokesperson said.
“We are also working to develop effective traffic and crowd management plans that will help to keep disruption to a minimum. There will be traffic disruption on Tuesday and Wednesday and will we continue to provide further updates.”
Source : BelfastLive
