Monday 30 December 2013

Northern Ireland peace talks end in stalemate

Dr Richard Haass and Harvard Professor Meghan O'Sullivan arrive at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast.


Marathon all-night negotiations to resolve outstanding peace process issues in Northern Ireland have failed to produce an agreement.

Talks chairman Dr Richard Haass, a former US diplomat, said he had not managed to secure consensus on a final set of proposals to deal with flags, disputed parades and the legacy of the Troubles before his end-of-year deadline.
Dr Haass said a working group made up of representatives of the five parties in Stormont's power-sharing executive would now be set up to try and find another way to build on "significant progress" that had been achieved.
Negotiators from Sinn Fein, the largest nationalist party in the Executive, said they were prepared to recommend the proposals to its ruling executive, but unionists would not sign up to the document tonight.
"Yes it would have been nice to come out here tonight and say we have got all five parties completely signed on to the text, we are not there," Dr Haass said

SOURCE-IRISH INDEPENDENT

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