Northern Ireland

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman

13 October 2006
Statement by Sean McCormack, Spokesman on the Power Sharing Agreement

The United States welcomes today's announcement by Her Majesty's Government, the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and all political parties in Northern Ireland who have collectively reached an agreement on power-sharing in Northern Ireland. This agreement could mark a major step toward achieving the lasting political settlement that was first envisioned in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

While the goal of peace and prosperity is in sight, much work still needs to be done before the Assembly at Stormont is established, governing Northern Ireland. We urge each party to take the actions necessary over the coming weeks to meet these goals. The United States will remain engaged with all the political parties to assist them in these efforts. We note the leadership shown by all the parties in reaching this latest agreement.

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