ALL CONCERNED in the peace process must take risks, the former US senator and chairman of the international body on arms decommissioning, Mr George Mitchell, said after a 75 minute meeting with Government leaders in Dublin yesterday.
At a press conference, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said Senator Mitchell's visit to Ireland and Britain was "a sign of hope and encouragement to all those who are working to have the ceasefire restored, to have the path of peace the only path forward and to have talks commenced with a view to a negotiated settlement being agreed".
Senator Mitchell said he, personally, as well as President Clinton and the US government, were strongly supportive and encouraging of the efforts being made by the Irish and British governments to move the peace process forward to achieve a specific date for all party negotiations and the restoration of the ceasefire.
"We commend the Irish and British governments for their efforts in that regard. Our role is a supportive role: it is to encourage that process to move forward and do all we can to be helpful."
Commenting on the continuing efforts to restore peace, Senator Mitchell said: "The primary responsibility for dealing with these issues remains, of course, with the governments in Britain and Ireland and the parties here.
"There's been a lot of analysis and speculation in the press in the last few days about my visit here. Let me make clear I am not an envoy, I am not a mediator. I came to London for the principal purpose of announcing an initiative in Bosnia by the International Crisis Group, which I chair and which is entirely unrelated to the situation in Northern Ireland. My visits to the prime ministers were at their request but not in the role of an envoy, mediator, arbitrator or any other."
He did not believe people were being over optimistic about the role the US could play. "President Clinton is the first sitting American President to visit Northern Ireland, in a tangible expression of his keen personal interest in the matter and his concern over the future events there."
Senator Mitchell said the policy of the Irish Government of meeting Sinn Fein at official rather than ministerial level seemed to him "an entirely appropriate policy at this time".