The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, is to meet a delegation of prominent Irish-Americans who have played an important role in the peace process in Belfast today. The delegation will include Mr Niall
O'Dowd, publisher of the Irish Voice newspaper, businessman Mr Chuck
Feeney and Mr Bill Flynn, of Mutual America.
Former congressman, Mr Bruce Morrison, will be unable to attend due to scheduling problems, but has pledged his continued commitment to the group's work. Sinn Fein's Northern chairman, Mr Gerry O hEara, has called on the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, to ensure the
Irish language is accorded "parity of esteem in the Six Counties".
In continuing reaction to the renewed IRA ceasefire, Republican
Sinn Fein - the breakaway faction established by the former Sinn Fein president, Mr Ruairi O Bradaigh - said it "could not provide a just and lasting peace because it did not involve a process of British disengagement". The Women's Coalition welcomed the ceasefire and said it supported the inclusion of Sinn Fein in peace talks. The
Coalition also paid tribute to the Progressive Unionist Party and the
Ulster Democratic Party for their work to maintain the loyalist ceasefire.
The Workers' Party president in the North, Mr Tom French, said the ceasefire "should mean an end once and for all to violence. It should be permanent and lasting". He said it was now "up to all sides to work for political progress".
Mr John Robb, chairman of the New Ireland Group, said he joined
"with all people of good will . . .in welcoming the opportunity provided by the renewed ceasefire".
Joe Carroll, Washington Correspondent, writes: President Clinton is refusing to get drawn into the arguments over decommissioning now threatening the peace negotiations.
Following the President's appeal at the weekend to all parties to be ready to make compromises, the White House spokesman, Mr Mike
McCurry, reacted to the Unionist parties' negative attitude by saying that "making peace is difficult" in Northern Ireland as well as in
Bosnia and the Middle East. In Northern Ireland it is going "to require patience and a certain amount of discipline and also a capacity to keep the hope of peace alive", he said.
Asked if President Clinton was "sympathetic to the concerns of the unionists", Mr McCurry said: "We try to understand the concerns expressed by elements of both communities and try to see if we can't be helpful in trying to bridge differences." The best way to do that, he said, was to be supportive of the process.