Joe Biden marks 25 years of Good Friday Agreement: Colum Eastwood says 1998 deal was 'actually a big victory for unionism'

Mr Eastwood was speaking after the US president delivered an address at Ulster University’s new Belfast campus today.

"He was very positive about what's happened over the last 25 years - and he's right,” said Mr Eastwood.

"But we also now need to reach a lot of the areas like my own that haven't been properly reached and haven't had a full peace dividend.

"It's great the president wants to support that, particularly with the appointment of Joe Kennedy [the special economic envoy to NI] and all the support they want to give, and the great opportunity we have with the Protocol to trade into both markets.”

It was put to him that a key plank of Mr Biden’s speech – his hopes for a restoration of devolution – will not change the facts on the ground.

"It's one thing what the American president says,” Mr Eastwood told the News Letter.

"But I think what the DUP should listen to is what the people are saying.”

As to what he would say to unionists who now regret the 1998 agreement, he said: “First of all, unionism should think what actually happened in 1998.

"We got nationalism and republicans to sign up to the principle of consent, which meant the constitutional position couldn't change until the majority of people in voted for it to change - a big victory, actually, for unionism.

"I think they should understand then, if I want to change the constitution, I have to persuade people.

"If unionism wants to keep within the UK, they have to persuade people, and the best way is to reach out the hand of friendship, and to make life easy.

"Getting back into government would be a good start.”

Below is a link to Mr Biden’s full address to Northern Ireland, recorded at 1pm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

He spoke for about 20 minutes, not always very audibly, about his ancestral roots in Britain and Ireland and about his hopes for peace in Northern Ireland.

You can watch the whole thing here and judge for yourself:

• WATCH / LISTEN for yourself: US president Joe Biden's full uncut address to Northern Ireland 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement

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