Biden says new Brexit deal will bring ‘significant investment’ to N.Ireland

BELFAST (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday a deal between Britain and the European Union to simplify post-Brexit trade rules would lead to significant investment in Northern Ireland from “scores” of major U.S. companies.

“There are scores of major American corporations wanting to come here, wanting to invest,” Biden said, speaking at a university in Belfast during a trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the British provinces 1998 Good Friday peace deal.

In March, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed a deal known as the Windsor Framework with the EU in a bid to solve years of wrangling about how to ease trade rules between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic without the need for a hard border which could risk peace in the province.

“The Windsor Framework addressed the practical realities of Brexit and its an essential step to ensuring hard earned peace and progress of the Good Friday Agreement are preserved and strengthened,” Biden said.

“I believe the stability and predictability offered by this framework will encourage greater investment in Northern Ireland, significant investment.”

(Reporting by Conor Humphries and Amanda Ferguson, writing by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by Michael Holden)