Which is marking 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The historic peace deal largely ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. But Prime Minister rishi sunak says efforts must be intensified to restore the Power Sharing government that was central to the deal. It collapsed in the fallout from brexit and now the political dysfunction and security concerns are threatening to overshadow the historic milestone. Rishi sunak willjoin the us president , joe biden, on a visit to Northern Ireland on tuesday to commemorate the Good Friday Agreement. A few minutes ago, the Us National Security council spokesperson, john kirby, told the White House Press corps how much this trip means to President Biden. President biden will head to Ulster University to deliver remarks marking the tremendous progress since the signing of the belfast Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago. And hell underscore the readiness of the United States to preserve those gains and support Northern Irelands vast economic potential to the benefit of all communities. And today, i think you all know, is actually the is the 25th Anniversary since the belfast Good Friday Agreement was signed, ending decades of violence and bringing peace and stability to Northern Ireland. President biden cares deeply about Northern Ireland and has a long history of supporting peace and prosperity there. Lets speak to our ireland correspondent chris page. Good to see you. The agreement was a huge milestone and achievement, but it is fair to say that the path since then has been anything but smooth . I since then has been anything but smooth . ~. , since then has been anything but smooth . ~. , smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years to smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years to the smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years to the day smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years to the day since smooth . I think that is right. This is 25 years to the day since the i is 25 years to the day since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. Here in stormont, on the outskirts of belfast. As you mentioned, the political process since then hasnt been straightforward stop back then, few people would have expected it to be. This building behind me should be. This building behind me should be the home of the Power Sharing regional assembly, which was set up under the terms of the agreement. It is a place where unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain in the uk, can work with irish nationalists, who want Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic Of Ireland. The plan was for them to gathered together, but when you look at the last 25 years, for more than ten of those 25 years, the Power SharingRegional Government has not been operating because of various political crises. We are in the middle of one of those crises at the moment. The democratic Unionist Party, the biggest group, are currently vetoing the formation of a coalition because of their opposition to Brexit Trading Arrangements for Northern Ireland, which is these which they say amounts to a trade border with. On the other hand, many people have been emphasising over this holiday weekend, when you look at the place Northern Ireland is today compared to what was 25 years ago, there is such a massive difference. Political balance now, while not completely unknown, certainly is rare. You have much more Economic Prosperity here, you have the whole generation of people who have grown up without the conflict that largely ended with the Good Friday Agreement. That conflict went on for decades and cost the lives of thousands of people. Blood shed on that scale is pretty much unimaginable. We can expect when President Biden touches down in this part of the uk, On Tuesday Evening Uk time, the emphasis will be very much on the transformative effect of the Good Friday Agreement, the fact that Northern Ireland has changed very much for the better, and while there are still problems and political tensions, peace has largely held. That is a great diplomatic achievement. Absolutely. You touch on diplomatic achievement. Absolutely. You touch on the diplomatic achievement. Absolutely. You touch on the whole diplomatic achievement. Absolutely. You touch on the whole new you touch on the whole new generation that has grown up not knowing the trouble is, they have not known that violence, they have not known that violence, they have not known that violence, they have not known checkpoints across the city. If they look at that building behind you and that stormont assembly, and they look at what the politicians can do for them right now, given that stalemate we are seeing . Now, given that stalemate we are seeinu . , , now, given that stalemate we are seeina . ,. , now, given that stalemate we are seeina . ,. , seeing . There certainly is a sense of disillusionment seeing . There certainly is a sense of disillusionment with seeing . There certainly is a sense of disillusionment with politics seeing . There certainly is a sense of disillusionment with politics i l of disillusionment with politics i would say in general in Northern Ireland. You hear people wondering out loud if the divisions of the past will ever really be in the past if Northern Ireland is basically a place where there is always going to be a level of political dysfunction. Talking to people who were born around the time of the Good Friday Agreement, it seems to me that they have very different perspectives on the place they live now compared with previous generations. For example, speaking recently to to 25 year olds whose birthdays are today, kerry patterson, who was given the middle name hope because of the day she was born, they told me that they were very thankful for being in the generation that came after the Good Friday Agreement. They grew up with friends after the Good Friday Agreement they grew up with friends from after the Good Friday Agreement. They grew up with friends from both sides of the traditional divide, they have seen Northern Ireland, and what they feel it certainly has a way to travel, when they look back at the scenes of Northern Ireland before they were born, bombs going off, murder is really being a daily event, and writing being very commonplace, they really do think you cannot imagine that that is what Northern Ireland used to be like before they were around. People are very conscious that this is a place that still has its problems and divisions, still there is a lingering sense of injustice from the troubles, on the whole, i would say, people this weekend in Northern Ireland are thankful for the past 25 years, that it has been so different to the 30 years that went before. fix, to the 30 years that went before. A busy few days ahead. Thank you for being with us. Joining me now is Mary Robinson, who was president of ireland for most of the 905. It is good to have you with us tonight, too. Chris running through the history and some of the changes, i wonder how you would characterise the achievements of the Good Friday Agreement . Its the achievements of the Good Friday Agreement . The achievements of the good friday aureement . H ,. ,. , agreement . Its very hard to capture an few agreement . Its very hard to capture any few minutes. Agreement . Its very hard to capture any few minutes, and agreement . Its very hard to capture any few minutes, and im agreement . Its very hard to capture any few minutes, and im glad agreement . Its very hard to capture any few minutes, and im glad that l any few minutes, and im glad that we are having lots of opportunity to mark the 25th Anniversary. Ill be in Queens University next week, and we talked for days about the importance of the agreement. And well talk. So many people were involved, and it mattered so much. I remember as president going to warrington after the terrible bombing there, being the irish president , taking part in a warrington project are bring peace afterwards. To bring peace afterwards. To bring peace afterwards. I in with terrible trauma, three and half thousand were killed and many others still suffer trauma. This agreement, in its complexity and constructive ambiguity, is a wonderful example for the world. It is known all Around The World. When i became high commissionerfor human rights at Around The World. When i became High Commissioner For Human Rights at the time of the agreement, because i finished my term in september 1997, seven months before the Good Friday Agreement, the belfast Good Friday Agreement, the belfast Good Friday Agreement, i was aware of how it resonated and still resonated with agreements all over the world, because it was so complex. It was the eight parties, the multiparty agreement. It was the two governments. It was north, south, east, west. It had human rights, at a decommissioning, i had Victim Support. It had a whole lot of issues. We should really understand how significant it was, and how we must build on it now for generations Going Forward. It is must build on it now for generations Going ForwardGoing Forward. It is interesting you talk of those Going Forward. It is interesting you talk of those generations. Going forward. It is interesting you talk of those generations. That Going Forward. It is interesting you | talk of those generations. That Deal Backin Talk of those generations. That deal back in 1998 made some very key promises to the irish people. It was about Economic Opportunity, it was about Economic Opportunity, it was about prosperity, it was about stability. Would you say those promises have been met and kept . I think the promises were dependent on the assembly particularly working, and the Executive Working. As we know, for political reasons that did not happen for quite a lot of the time. In Northern Ireland, im aware that there are very real problems. Health problems, cost of living problems, real Poverty Problems, and disillusionment with the problems. In comparison to what i remember of the violence, of the fullness of waking up to yet another terrible killing, terrible bombing, terrible, savage, awfulness. Going to belfast now, going to derry as i have done over the years and quite recently, you dont even know youre crossing the border, and there is a sense of real possibilities. It should be better, it would be better if there was a Functioning Executive, we all know that, we want that Functioning Executive back. I hope it will be able now. I think the Windsor Framework has helped with the Northern Ireland protocol, it is arrant out some of the genuine problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, and i hope it will be seen that this gives Northern Ireland an incredible advantage of having access to the United Kingdom market, to the European Union market, and that the rest of the uk doesnt have that. ,. , that the rest of the uk doesnt have that. ,. , , that the rest of the uk doesnt have that. ,. , that. Stay with us one second, as i ust want that. Stay with us one second, as i just want to that. Stay with us one second, as i just want to show that. Stay with us one second, as i just want to show viewers that. Stay with us one second, as i just want to show viewers at that. Stay with us one second, as i just want to show viewers at this i just want to show viewers at this point the other main story we are following tonight, that shooting in the us City Of Louisville that has left five people dead. Six people we are told in hospital. We will be right across that and tell you any updates we have heard from that. I want to continue the conversation we are having, because that is our other main story today, the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, and you talk fair about some of the difficulties on the road to where we are today to this 25 years, but again, if you look at what is happening today, petrol bombs and other missiles thrown at the police, we know the terror alert was raised to severe stop the Northern Ireland secretary described peace in the region is fragile and imperfect. I wonder can we ever hear, feel any hope that they will get to a place where the pieces more permanent and long lasting . There are a lot of permanent and long lasting . There are a lot of media permanent and long lasting . There are a lot of media in permanent and long lasting . There are a lot of media in northern are a lot of media in Northern Ireland at the moment, so of course the dissidents will want their moment of marching along. It was a small demonstration in the creggan area of derry, as i saw it. Yes, the peaceis area of derry, as i saw it. Yes, the peace is fragile in one sense, because we had a Detective Inspector injured seriously, and are really serious incident that may be other possibilities of serious incidents, but these are minor in comparison to what is the possibilities now. The bipartisan support from the United States, the attention. I was in washington recently for some of the lead up to the st patricks day celebrations, and the strong Bipartisan Congress of the United States at the highest levels, the strong support there will be there the next week, president bill clinton and hillary clinton, both of whom played a major part. George mitchell, a coming over again. I remember when i was president just before the Good Friday Agreement, i said, how is George Mitchell making such progress . He said, president , he listened us out. He listened with his long, difficult process of dealing with people who had to give a lot to get an agreement. Trimble had to give a lot, hume had to give a lot. They had to be brave enough to say, this is for the future. Now we have to build on that for the future Going Forward. There is a wonderful opportunity now for Northern Ireland. I hope it will be embraced by all politicians, outside politics of the former president , i have a lot of sense of Northern Ireland, a lot of love for Northern Ireland, a lot of love for Northern Ireland, as i said in my inauguration in 1990. As i want to extend the hand of friendship and love for the people of Northern Ireland. It love for the people of Northern Ireland. ,. , love for the people of Northern Ireland. ,. ,. , ireland. It is so good to have you with us on ireland. It is so good to have you with us on the ireland. It is so good to have you with us on the programme ireland. It is so good to hav