President Joe Biden has praised Northern Ireland's political leaders standing together following the attempted murder of a police detective in Co Tyrone last month.
PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after being shot multiple times at a leisure centre in Omagh.
The New IRA, an armed dissident republican group opposed to the peace process, has been blamed for the attack on the high-profile officer.
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Following the murder bid, senior figures from the main Stormont parties went together to meet PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to receive an update on the incident.
Afterwards, they stood side by side along with Mr Byrne to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the police. The show of togetherness came despite political upheaval at Stormont that has seen powersharing put in cold storage due to an impasse over post-Brexit trade.
Mr Biden referenced the incident in a speech at a St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday. Mr Byrne was a guest at the lunch in Washington DC, as were the leaders of the five main Stormont parties.
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald sat at the same table as DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
"Northern Ireland leaders that are here today, let me say how important it was to see you standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Byrne confirming your commitment to the future following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell," said Mr Biden.
"We all have to continue to work to protect peace and stability."
The President is set to travel to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in April in a visit with a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary.
No further details on dates or locations were revealed by the President and Taoiseach as they talked to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. The leaders were taking part in the traditional bilateral engagement between the President and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to mark St Patrick's Day.
White House officials have visited both Belfast and Dublin as part of planning for the visit.
Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast next month for events to commemorate the landmark accord that largely ended the Troubles. Other key figures involved in securing the deal are also due to travel to the city.
A visit by Mr Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the Good Friday deal has long been anticipated but there has been speculation that it might not materialise if the powersharing impasse at Stormont is ongoing in April.
The DUP is blocking the operation of the institutions created by the Good Friday deal in protest at Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol. The party is currently deliberating on whether to accept a new UK/EU deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland - the Windsor Framework - and return to Stormont.
It is understood the devolution impasse will not be a determining factor for US officials planning the potential visit by Mr Biden. The President has a deep affection for his Irish ancestry and a visit to the island has always been on the cards since his election.
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