Joe Biden aims to 'keep the peace' as he flies to Belfast

US President Joe Biden has said his priority is "keeping the peace in Northern Ireland" as he travels to Belfast on Air Force One.

He will be in town tonight to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace accord.

The 1998 agreement ended trouble - decades of violence in Northern Ireland had left thousands dead.

A massive security operation is already underway in Belfast for Mr Biden's visit.

While he praised politicians for everything they did to secure peace in 1998, his visit was overshadowed by the fact that Northern Ireland's power-sharing government was dysfunctional.

Stormont collapsed last year when one of Stormont's largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), quit as part of a protest over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade rules.

"I look forward to celebrating the anniversary in Belfast and emphasizing America's commitment to peace and prosperity," Biden said before his arrival.