Northern Ireland must consign paramilitarism to the past, the leaders of the US, British and Irish governments said today.
In a joint statement issued during talks in Northern Ireland on the peace process, US President George W Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Taoiseach urged parties to accept Dublin and London's proposals this week for moving the Belfast Agreement forward.
And in comments aimed at the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries, they urged them in a joint communique from Hillsborough Castle to break finally from the gun.
The three leaders argued: "The acceptance and implementation of the governments' forthcoming proposals would promote the reconciliation that the people of Northern Ireland desire and deserve.
"These proposals, built on the firm ground of the Good Friday Agreement, hold out the prospect of enormous progress.
"They reflect our shared view that there can be no place in Northern Ireland for paramilitary activity and capability.
"The break with paramilitarism in all its past forms must be complete and irrevocable."
Mr Bush, Mr Blair and Mr Ahern said the release on Thursday's Dublin and London's proposals for implementing the Agreement presented the people of Northern Ireland and their leaders with "a momentous opportunity to ensure peace is strengthened and political stability is secured".
The three leaders held a working lunch at Hillsborough Castle and then met informally the leaders of the pro-Agreement parties.
Earlier today President Bush strongly endorsed the two governments' efforts to help parties take the "final steps to a lasting peace".
The Governments' plan will cover a number of outstanding issues in the Agreement.
These include the scaling down of the British Army presence in the North, the devolution of policing and justice powers, equality and human rights and the stability of Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions.
London and Dublin hope the document - which will be released on the fifth anniversary of the Agreement - will result in a historic declaration from the IRA that it is abandoning all paramilitary activity.
At a press conference in Hillsborough with Mr Blair, President Bush said political leaders "should adopt the plan as their own".
"This is an historic moment and I would ask all the communities in Northern Ireland to seize this opportunity for peace," he said.
With Sinn Fein still withholding its endorsement of Northern Ireland's new police service, today's communique said if all parties gave their support to policing it would "constitute a significant step forward" for the peace process.
The three governments committed themselves to an "effective monitoring system" for ensuring all parties remained true to the Agreement.
President Bush, Mr Blair and Mr Ahern also argued "acts of completion" and a commitment to totally peaceful and democratic means would have economic dividends for Northern Ireland.
They insisted: "Peace is its own dividend.
PA