THE DEMOCRATIC nominee for the US Presidential election is committed to preserving peace in Northern Ireland and protecting the Good Friday Agreement, his adviser has said.
Joe Biden had voiced his support for the Good Friday Agreement while campaigning for the Democratic nomination in November, stating he cared "a great deal" about protecting peace in the six counties and "we don't want a guarded border again".
Now the threat of a hard border in Ireland is looming again, after the UK Government announced its plans to break international law and override the withdrawal treaty negotiated with the EU last year.
The new legislation could undermine parts of the withdrawal agreement and give greater priority to seamless trade between England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Some of the clauses will also override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed last year, in a move that could pave the way for a return to a hard border.
As the news erupted, Mr Biden's foreign policy adviser, Mr Antony Blinken, issued a statement on Twitter where he said the presidential nominee is "committed to preserving the hard-earned peace and stability in Northern Ireland".
"As the UK and EU work out their relationship, any arrangements must protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent the return of a hard border."
Democratic presidential candidate, and former Vice President Joe Biden has previously voiced his support for the Good Friday Agreement (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)In December, a bill reaffirming support for the Good Friday Agreement garnered bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans, with the bill reiterating that Congress would not support any trade deal between the US and the UK if it is detrimental to the landmark peace treeaty.
In July 2019, a 54-strong organisation within Congress called Friends of Ireland confirmed that they would block any transatlantic trade deal if Brexit resulted in a hard border in Ireland.
