Catalan president travels to Belfast to meet first minister of Northern Ireland

The President of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, is making an official visit to Belfast on Wednesday to meet the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill. 

Aragonès will also meet with the Mayor of Belfast, Ryan Muphy, and visit an Irish-language school in the city. 

Ahead of the visit, a source from the Catalan government said that, for the first time, "the government of Northern Ireland is led by a republican party in favor of the reunification of Ireland, Sinn Féin, which shares objectives and principles with the Catalan government."  

Aragonès visited Ireland in February last year, when he met with the president of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald. 

The purpose of the trip, according to the government, is to "strengthen ties" with Northern Ireland, a territory that "shares many challenges and aspirations with Catalonia in matters such as self-determination, language and social justice." 

The governing party in Catalonia, Esquerra Republicana, also wants to consolidate its alliance with Sinn Féin, a fellow left-wing republican party seeking major constitutional change.