US President Joe Biden arrived in Belfast last night to begin a four-day visit to the island of Ireland.
Air Force One touched down at Belfast International Airport shortly after 9pm.
He was greeted and welcomed to Northern Ireland by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
US President Joe Biden's plane has landed in Northern Ireland. The US leader is on a four-day trip to the island of Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement | Read more: https://t.co/BS7i1xemuU pic.twitter.com/KnDI1dbRgn
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 11, 2023
Mr Biden, speaking to reporters before his departure from the US, said that his top priority was to "make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor Agreement stay in place, keep the peace".
The entourage travelling with him includes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the recently appointed US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland Joseph Kennedy III.
Dozens of White House officials are also making the trip, among them Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed.
Shortly after arriving, the presidential cavalcade, consisting of a large number of heavily armoured vehicles that arrived in Belfast over the weekend, will take Mr Biden to a hotel for an overnight stay.
A number of roads in Belfast city centre were closed off and crash barriers have been erected.
Police in Northern Ireland say there will be traffic disruptions by Belfast International Airport during Mr Biden's visit.
The PSNI advised those travelling to or from the airport to expect delays and to allow extra time for their journey.
Over the weekend, US Secret Service agents checked sewers and put security seals on manhole covers along the route the cavalcade is expected to take.
The US President has one engagement in Northern Ireland tomorrow when he formally opens a new £350m campus for Ulster University in Belfast city centre.
Those invited to attend include business representatives from across Northern Ireland, as well as members of youth groups and politicians.
Mr Sunak will not attend the event but is expected to take part in a number of separate engagements. US Ambassador to the UK Jane Hartley is set to attend.
The White House said there will not be a formal group meeting between President Biden and Northern Ireland's five main political parties.
He will have an opportunity to engage with the leaders of the parties ahead of a speech tomorrow at Ulster University.
25 years ago, Northern Ireland's leaders chose peace.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 10, 2023
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement ended decades of violence and brought stability.
I look forward to marking the anniversary in Belfast, underscoring the U.S. commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity.
Mr Biden is expected to leave Belfast at around 2pm today to travel across the border for three days of engagements in Dublin, Louth and Mayo.
Read more:
Road closures and travel restrictions in Dublin, Louth, Mayo for Biden visit
Biden to give key address at Ulster University at start of visit
Party leaders won't speak at Biden Oireachtas address
Previous visits to Ireland by US presidents
Security operations in Dundalk are ramping up ahead of the visit Mr Biden's today.
A large Garda presence was visible in the town yesterday, as gardaí were seen patrolling the streets.
Gardaí and workers from Louth County Council also worked together to seal manholes around the town.
Mr Biden is expected to do a "walkabout" around the town sometime this afternoon during his visit to his ancestral county.
Members of the public have been invited in to the town centre to welcome the President. However, exact details of the walkabout around Dundalk are still under wraps.
In a tweet last night, the president said he was looking forward to marking the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast and "underscoring the US commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity".
Biden visit 'significant' - Blair
Former British prime minister Tony Blair described Mr Biden's visit to Northern Ireland as "significant".
The ex-Labour leader spoke of the importance of using "the American influence on the process with care and with sensitivity" adding "there's a difference between influencing and pressurising and the one tends to be positive and the other can be negative".
Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the use of "American influence" on the process must be done with care and with sensitivity.
"I don't know what the up-to-date situation is with President Biden and our Prime Minister [Rishi Sunak] now, but for me at that time and actually also afterwards with President Bush who came to Northern Ireland and was actually extremely helpful at a crucial moment in the peace process," Mr Blair said.
"One thing I learned about the unionist is if you try and pressurise them to do something that they're fundamentally in disagreement with, it's usually futile pressure, even if it comes from the US, so you've got to use that influence carefully."
US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin has expressed her excitement for the arrival of President Biden to Ireland.
"I think it's very well known that he has a great fondness and affection for this country, the home of his ancestors," she said.
"But it's also a time for him to underscore the importance of the US-Irish relationship, which remains so strong always."
Speaking to on RTÉ's Six One News, Ms Cronin said the "excitement is palpable" in Mr Biden's ancestral homeland of Co Mayo.
"I mean, there are flags in the windows. Wherever you go, people are talking about it, they're excited about it and I know he will be too," she said.
