21/06/2001

US ADVISOR IN LONDON FOR PEACE TALKS

THE United States special advisor on Northern Ireland met with Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid in Downing Street on Thursday June 21 for talks on the current crisis.

Speaking after his meeting Richard Haass said that the future of the peace process lies in the hands of the province’s politicians and the two governments. He quickly dispelled any notion that his position could be construed as an independent mediator and said there was “no magic bullet” in Washington.

A spokesman for the US State Department said the Downing Street meeting was a “listening and learning exercise and if Mr Haass was asked to help he would “offer his services”.

Mr Haass is director of policy planning at the State department. His role is to help co-ordinate the US Government’s policy on Northern Ireland. Mr Haass was also expected to meet all the main parties in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

The peace process is currently in a state of crisis. Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble has threatened to resign and create a crisis in the institutions if the IRA fail to decommission by July 1. Talks have quickly transpired due to this two-week-window between all the pro-Agreement parties and British Prime Minister and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

The Secretary of State has also met all the smaller parties in Northern Ireland this week.

An anti-Agreement Democratic Unionist Party delegation headed by the Reverend Ian Paisley, met with the British Prime Minister for separate talks on Thursday afternoon. (AMcE)

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