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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
"Breakthrough" in Talks on Northern Ireland
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Foreign Broadcast Information Service, February 12, 1992
United Kingdom: 'Breakthrough' in Talks on Northern Ireland
</hdr>
<body>
<p>[By Chris Moncrieff, PRESS ASSOCIATION political editor. London
PRESS ASSOCIATION in English 2005 GMT 11 Feb 92]
</p>
<p> [Text] The prime minister tonight appeared to have smashed
through the deadlock over the political future of Northern
Ireland after historic and dramatic talks at Downing Street. He
had bluntly told Ulster's four constitutional party leaders to
find "common ground" and warned them that terrorism thrived on
division more than anything else.
</p>
<p> And after what he described as "an excellent meeting", Mr
Major announced that Unionists James Molyneaux and the Rev. Ian
Paisley, Mr John Hume of the SDLP [Social Democratic Liberal
Party] and Alliance Party head Dr John Alderdice had agreed to
extend existing informal talks to cover political issues. They
also agreed to hold further talks directly with Mr Major. "They
will also meet now to discuss obstacles in the way of further
political dialogue in the hope that political dialogue might be
able to recommence at an early date," he said.
</p>
<p> At a news conference, Mr Paisley hailed the talks as a
"breakthrough". But he warned: "The prime minister has now got
to deliver and if he delivers there will be hope in Northern
Ireland. Now we have got to see activity, real activity." Mr
Hume described the meeting as "positive". Dr Alderdice
commented: "I think it is tremendously important that the prime
minster is bringing the whole weight of the Government behind
moving forward in Northern Ireland--that is a very welcome
development."
</p>
<p> Neither Mr Hume nor Dr Alderdice would be drawn on whether
they thought a new round of talks would be held before the
general election.
</p>
<p> Mr Major had made it clear he meant business. After pledging
his commitment, he said he wanted the party leaders to resume
their discussions before the general election. The historic
talks--the first of their kind since Harold Wilson's days in
1976--took place against a vain IRA [Irish Republican Army]
attempt to disrupt them, with a bomb alert in Whitehall.
</p>
<p> Mr Major said after the meeting: "This afternoon we have had
an excellent meeting. It was held in an extremely good spirit
and I believe everybody who took part regarded it as thoroughly
worthwhile. The discussions were frank and wide ranging,
points of agreement were aired and so were points of
disagreement by all four party leaders. We have discussed all
this and we will return to those matters later. As a result of
the excellent dialogue we have had this afternoon, I have
indicated to the four party leaders that I am prepared to hold
further meetings with them so that we can discuss matters of
relevance to Northern Ireland and in particular the security
situation."
</p>
<p> Mr Major said there was unanimous condemnation of terrorist
actions. "Terrorists who claim to be acting on behalf of one
community or other are in fact acting against the interest of
all the people in Northern Ireland--that was the unanimous
view of everyone. Everyone at the meeting gave their support
to the security forces in bringing those responsible for
terrorist atrocities to justice." Mr Major said the leaders
agreed on the importance of the closest possible cooperation
with the Irish Government. Meanwhile, Whitehall anxiously
watched events in Dublin, where the new Irish Premier Albert
Reynolds, conducted one of the most swift and spectacular
Cabinet clear-outs in Ireland's political history. He purged all
the "loyalists" of the outgoing Premier Charles Haughey, who was
forced out of power by allegations about his role in a 1982
telephone tapping scandal.
</p>
<p> Both inside the talks and to reporters outside the prime
minister indicated there was hope--as long as the parties
demonstrated public unity in the war against terrorism.
</p>
<p> Mr Major referred to recent improvements in security and
warned that terrorism thrived on divisions. "What can we do
about that?" he asked. And he stressed that the more common
ground they could find on security, the stronger their actions
against terrorism would be. "Better still we can extend the
common ground beyond security, but we need to take security
first. We owe it to the people of Northern Ireland to search for
common ground. You know them. They are your people. You
represent them. We won't stop terrorism, but we can alter the
climate in which it otherwise flourishes." The prime minister
was keen to make progress at once--and not wait until the
general election.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>