Joe Biden's stop-off in Belfast may have been shorter than initially anticipated, but his words to an audience including Stormont leaders should provide a powerful impetus to restore the power-sharing institutions.
The US President delivered a considered speech at Ulster University's city centre campus reflecting on the journey since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago and the incredible economic opportunities that remain to be grasped.
Mr Biden was undoubtedly struck by the physical transformation since his last visit in 1991, commenting on the "power and the possibilities of peace" including the glass-fronted new building he now stood in.
Making reference to his English heritage as well as the enormous contribution of Ulster Scots immigrants to the foundation of the United States, he also skilfully disarmed those seeking to question the motivations behind his visit.
His generous comments contrasted starkly with the suggestion by former DUP leader Arlene Foster that he "hates the UK", or nonsensical claims by Sammy Wilson that he has an antipathy towards Protestants.
Mr Biden instead emphasised the emotional investment of many American in the success of Northern Ireland and their genuine desire to help it realise its enormous potential.
The appointment of Joe Kennedy as a special envoy for economic affairs for the region is a tangible example of that commitment and the prospect of him leading a trade delegation of American companies will be eagerly anticipated.
And although the president picked his words carefully when expressing hope that the democratic institutions can soon be restored, the message for DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was clear.
Describing the Windsor Framework as an "essential step", there were "scores of major American corporations wanting to come here, wanting to invest", he said, if only the progress of the last quarter of a century can be maintained.
While the relatively brief nature of the president's visit perhaps reflected disappointment at the political vacuum that surrounds events marking the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, there is no doubting the commitment of successive US administrations to the peace process and, in the words of Mr Biden, its pledge "to be your partner in building the future the young people of our world deserve".
To spurn the support of the world's most powerful nation at this critical time would be a terrible failure for those future generations.
