Welcome to Hard Talk. I'm Stephen Sacker.

Given Joe Biden's pride in his Irish roots, his determination to be in Belfast and Dublin

to mark the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement comes as no surprise. The U.S.

government continues to use its transatlantic leverage to try to ensure the peace holds, despite

political tensions in Northern Ireland. My guest is U.S. Congressman Richard Neal, a Democrat

and co-chair of the Friends of Ireland caucus group.

To what extent is the wider US-UK relationship tied to the situation in Sparta. Congressman Richard Neal in Springfield, Massachusetts, welcome to hard talk.

Pleased me with you.

Well, it's a pleasure to have you on the show.

What does Joe Biden's determination to be on the island, island of Ireland, to mark this 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement,

what does it tell us about the priority he puts on doing what he can to maintaining the solidity of

the peace there? Well, I think it's a historic anniversary, and I think in America served as an honest

broker through the negotiations, and I think in America served as an honest broker through the

negotiations, and they were able through, I think, strategy and patience to bring about a successful

conclusion to the agreement, recalling that before the agreement, there were 30,000 British

soldiers in an area the size of our state of Connecticut.

There were 106 military installations.

There was a royal Ulster Constabulary that one tradition of the communities decided.

They thought that it was very unfair in their daily treatment.

And today, we have a prosperous island, still a ways to go. But the key here, Stephen, is to point out the following. All sides had to

give up something in terms of aspiration to bring about this significant achievement.

And I think that that cannot be overstated. And Joe Biden wants to be there for obvious and good

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