Attempts by the Democratic Unionist Party to "hollow out" the Belfast Agreement will be resisted, the SDLP said today.
As parties remained deadlocked over future power-sharing arrangements, senior SDLP negotiator Mr Sean Farren insisted his party would challenge DUP moves to stunt or dilute cross-border arrangements under the Agreement. He said his party expected Dublin to do the same.
The former Stormont finance minister said: "The North South Ministerial Council and the other means to promote and develop co-operation on an all-Ireland basis are essential building blocks of the Good Friday Agreement.
"They must neither be diluted nor should barriers be placed in the way of their development.
"DUP proposals would impede the working of the ministerial council and cap further developments until an 'efficiency review' had reported."
Mr Farren said the current cross-border arrangements were only a start to the harnessing of potential which could benefit people on both sides of the border.
"The work of bodies like Intertrade Ireland, Waterways Ireland and Tourism Ireland is highly regarded and pointing the way forward," he said.
"No one's political allegiance or sensitivities are endangered by such developments. On the contrary, unionists as well as nationalists appreciate the benefits that increased north-south co-operation brings."
Earlier this week, during talks at Stormont, the SDLP attacked British and Irish government proposals designed to give ministers in a power-sharing executive a greater say over their cabinet colleagues' North South Ministerial Council meetings.
PA