Former US President Bill Clinton’s Special Advisor on Northern Ireland, Dr James Lyons has compared recent US economic activity in Northern Ireland to the Marshall Plan, the post-Second World war plan for UK reconstruction.

Dr Lyons made his comments during his keynote speech to the University of Ulster on how US economic initiatives have helped power the drive for peace in the province.

Taking 'When Peace Hits The Streets' as his theme, Dr Lyons told his audience that America had had a considerable impact as a mediator and stimulator, using relatively few resources. However, Dr Lyons expressed disappointment that the current US administration has not felt it appropriate to continue funding economic development activity in Ireland, north or south.

Discussing reasons why the US aid programme had fallen short of its aims, he said: “We just ran out of time. The present US administration took a very different view of Northern Ireland, and has not been effective, or active, in the last three years. Their foreign policy is a dangerous mix of isolationism and imperialism – and we plan to fix that come November," referring to the challenge of Democrat, John Kerry in the forthcoming US elections.

Dr Lyons was also disappointed that the Good Friday Agreement had not yet been fully implemented, and looked forward to the return of a devolved legislature as a step forward in building peace in Northern Ireland.

"You should never – not for a minute – believe that you do not have an enormously bright future here in NI. You’ve had some clouds to deal with, and you’ve dealt with them. Anything we can do – whether we’re in office or out of office, we will always do.

"Part of my heart, part of my soul, - and I know I speak for the former President also - will always be here in this Province," he concluded.

Dr Lyons will deliver a further lecture at the University's INCORE project in Aberfoyle House, Magee Campus, on Tuesday at 2.30pm.

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