Queen Elizabeth II ready for historic Irish trip
Baku, May 17 (AZERTAC). Much of central Dublin has been closed off by police to prepare for the landmark visit of Queen Elizabeth II, who is set to become the first British monarch to set foot in the Republic of Ireland despite rising security concerns.
The queen and her husband Prince Philip will begin their four-day visit Tuesday, one day after IRA dissident groups issued a coded warning indicating that a bomb had been planted in central London, forcing British police on high alert.
The arrival of the British queen has sparked the biggest security operation in the history of the Irish state, with more than 8,500 Irish police assigned to protect her along with British security teams.
The long-awaited visit is seen as a celebration of improving bonds between Britain and Ireland, former adversaries that have tried to form a more equal relationship after decades of mistrust and mutual suspicion.
"It`s very much a sign of the maturity of the relationship, not just the conclusion of the troubles in Northern Ireland," said Noel Cox, a law professor at Aberystwyth University in Wales. "But clearly security is a big concern. The dissident groups are still there."
Irish President Mary McAleese, who invited the queen, said Monday that her arrival "signals the success of the peace process" that has tamped down decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
"I think it is an extraordinary moment in Irish history," said McAleese, who will host many of the events set up for the queen and her husband.
The queen arrives a full century after her grandfather George VI visited an Ireland that was still part of the British Empire. Relations between Ireland and its former colonial master have been tense most of that time.
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