Blair To Meet Irish Premier For Ulster Peace Talks
Talks on the Northern Ireland peace process are due to be held on Thursday between Prime Minister Tony Blair and his
Irish counterpart John Bruton.
The meeting in Downing Street will be the first between Mr Blair and another head of government since his election win last week.
The new Ulster Secretary Mo Mowlam and deputy Irish premier and Foreign Minister Dick Spring will also join the discussions.
Both sides are understood to be anxious to make an early signal underscoring their "utmost priority" of a joint determination to make progress towards advancing the bid for peace in Northern Ireland.
Mr Bruton has also been keen to establish contact with Mr Blair before giving the go-ahead, probably next week, for a general election early in June in the Irish Republic.
There were signs in London and Dublin late last week that attempts would be made to fix a mini Anglo-Irish summit as Mr Bruton was already scheduled to fulfil a number of other engagements during a two-day visit to Britain.
"My meeting with the Prime Minister is particularly important, as it is my first with Tony Blair as Prime Minister. I am very much looking forward to it, as I believe we can develop many new possibilities for co-operation in regard to Northern Ireland, bi-laterally and within Europe," said Mr Bruton last night.
"Work within each of these areas is mutually reinforcing," he added. "Co-operation in relation to Northern Ireland should, I
believe, have the utmost priority for both governments."
Ulster Secretary Continues Meetings
Dr Mowlam pursued her talks with Ulster political leaders as she continues to get to grips with her new brief.
She had back-to-back discussions at Stormont Castle, Belfast, with SDLP leader John Hume and Alliance Party leader Lord Alderdice.
Dr Mowlam is due to meet the Rev Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in London tomorrow. Yesterday she held hour-long discussions with the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble.
The RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan and the army chief, Lt General Sir Rupert Smith briefed her last night on the current security situation and on the possibility of an IRA ceasefire following Sinn Fein's successes in the General Election.
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