Rishi Sunak calls for Stormont return as Joe Biden visits Northern Ireland

US president will arrive on Belfast on Tuesday evening

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Phil Noble/PA) (PA Wire)

Rishi Sunak has called for the swift return of power-sharing in Northern Ireland ahead of a visit by US president Joe Biden.

The prime minister said he was ready to "ensure the institutions are up and running again as soon as possible" ahead of meetings with Mr Biden.

The US head of state is due step off Airforce One on Tuesday evening, marking the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The White House last week said the visit to Belfast would “mark the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago and to underscore the readiness of the United States to support Northern Ireland’s vast economic potential to the benefit of all communities".

It comes after the UK government and EU managed to strike a deal to resolve deadlock over the Northern Ireland border.

But the territory is still without a government, as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is refusing to drop a boycott of the devolved assembly at Stormont.

The DUP wants further changes to the agreement to eliminate barriers to trade across the Irish Sea.

Mr Biden is expected to make several stops north and south of the Irish border, including a visit to Dublin where ehe will address Irish parliamentarians and meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Asked about the power sharing issue, Mr Varadkar told RTE's This Week programme."We're working towards having the institutions up and running in the next few months."

Mr Sunak meanwhile said: "While it is time to reflect on the solid progress we have made together, we must also recommit to redoubling our efforts on the promise made in 1998 and the agreements that followed."