Joe Biden's visit to Northern Ireland was timed to commemorate the Good Friday Agreement but his message is also expected to focus on the future.
The choice of Ulster University's new £350million Belfast campus as the setting of a keynote speech by the US president in itself speaks volumes.
In a city centre that faced bombings and tight security during the Troubles, addressing students and civic leaders in a shiny new building will invoke a sense of hope and regeneration.
Read more: Joe Biden says aim of Northern Ireland trip is to 'keep the peace'
The US administration is proud of the part it played 25 years ago in the Good Friday Agreement, which largely brought an end to decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Mr Biden has said he is looking forward to marking the anniversary and "underscoring the US commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity".
With US special envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy also joining the trip, framing the visit around supporting the economic potential of the region will likely be a key focus.
Mr Biden's four-day visit to the island of Ireland may have involved a longer stay north of the border if Stormont power-sharing had been up and running.
A trip to Parliament Buildings had been considered, but it made less sense with the DUP still blocking devolved government in protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.
Engagements with Stormont political leaders are instead expected to be brief. They may only involve a photocall and a quick chat after his speech, rather than a sit-down meeting.
Mr Biden has expressed his support for the new Windsor Framework deal between the UK and European Union.
Before boarding Air Force One, he said that ensuring the "Irish accords and the Windsor agreement stay in place" was his top priority for the trip.
The US president may double down on endorsing the deal in his address and seek to gently encourage the DUP back into power-sharing.
But the speech will be carefully scripted, with the White House surely keen to avoid the potential for any gaffes or slip-ups that might inflame the Stormont stalemate.
This may be another reason why Mr Biden's stay in Northern Ireland has been pared back compared to trips by his predecessors.
With Mr Biden's proud Irish ancestry and support for Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol, many unionists do not see him as an impartial influence.
His face previously appeared alongside other leaders such as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on anti-protocol posters in loyalist areas.
Focusing on peace and prosperity and keeping the politics to a minimum may be the strategy for Mr Biden's team before heading across the border, where events are expected to be much more plain-sailing.
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