US President Joe Biden is on his way to Ireland for a trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Biden boarded Air Force One which took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly before 3.30pm local time.
He is expected to touch down at Belfast International Airport between 9pm and 10pm on Tuesday evening, where he will be greeted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Asked on the runway what his top priority was for the trip, the President said: "Make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor agreement stay in place; keep the peace. That's the main thing."
25 years ago, Northern Ireland’s leaders chose peace.
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.— President Biden (@POTUS) April 10, 2023
Mr Biden will spend half a day in Belfast on Wednesday and is expected to deliver a speech at Ulster University to emphasise his country's commitment to preserving peace in the North.
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill has said President Biden’s visit to the North on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is a ‘special moment’ and said it is now time to look to the next 25 years with hope, opportunity and ambition.
“I am delighted to welcome President Biden to Belfast which cements our close bonds of friendship and our partnership for peace and prosperity with the United States of America," she said.
“To have him come to mark 25 years of peace and the signing of the Good Friday Peace Accord of 1998 and to address both houses of the Oireachtas is a special moment.
“As we look back with pride at just how far we have all come, and all that has been achieved, we also look forward with hope, ambition, and opportunity for the next twenty-five years."
And Sinn Féin's Northern leader had words of praise also for the President's new Special Economic Envoy Joseph Kennedy III.
“I welcome the commitment of President Biden to this work through his appointment of Special Envoy Joe Kennedy III and I look forward to working with him now to deepen further US investment and economic growth to the benefit of all our communities.
“The new deal between Brussels and London gives us a huge competitive advantage as a gateway to Europe for the sale of goods to two of the world’s largest markets unimpeded. We must use this opportunity to attract investment, create jobs for our young people, and together deliver the change people demand and rightfully deserve."
