Sinn Fein leader in fresh round of talks
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams MP has called for dialogue, inclusivity and respect for others ahead of talks with the British and Irish governments today.
Mr Adams said the fundamentals of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement had to be protected now more than ever.
Ahead of talks with the Irish Taoiseach Bettie Ahern on Tuesday in Dublin and Tony Blair at Chequers two days later, he called for leaders to stabilise the process and continue its progression.
Mr Blair is also expected to hold talks with the SDLP and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble.
“The peace process is too important to the people of this island. It is the most important political development in the past 30 years,” Mr Adams said.
“It is the only way forward.”
With the process “in serious trouble” and despite the apparent allegations levelled by Mr Ahern against deputy Martin McGuinness and himself, Mr Adams said he was approaching today’s meeting “positively”, in the spirit of cooperation not confrontation.
Echoing the sentiment of the top police chief in Northern Ireland, Hugh Orde, who has consistently claimed the IRA perpetrated the bank raid on December 20th, Mr Ahern alleged Sinn Fein knew of the robbery in advance.
The peace process was rocked in December after the IRA was linked to the £26.5 million Northern Bank raid in Belfast. The IRA denies any involvement in the robbery.
Mr Blair’s official spokesman yesterday said the Prime Minister would be conveying to Sinn Fein the simple message that the IRA must stop all paramilitary and criminal activity if republicans are to be included in devolution plans.
“It is that there can be no deal with republicans unless all activity, paramilitary and criminal, stops. Period. That’s it,” he said.
Mark Durkan, leader of the SDLP, said the peace process was “in a rut” and called on the governments in London and Dublin to win back the initiative.
Conservative Party Northern Ireland spokesman, David Lidington, whose constituency includes Chequers, said Mr Blair would make a “serious misjudgement” in holding a meeting with Mr Adams.
“It will simply provide Gerry Adams with yet another photo-opportunity and tell the world that so far as Mr Blair is concerned it is business as usual when it comes to Sinn Fein,” he said.
