North’s political groups have ‘no excuse’ to defer final deal

THE North’s political groups have no excuse for deferring a final agreement and re-establishing the Northern Ireland Assembly, Foreign Minister Brian Cowen said ahead of three days of talks scheduled to begin on Thursday.

The people of the six counties were paying too high a price for the impasse in political and economic terms he warned, but said a historical agreement was possible.

All the Northern Ireland political leaders together with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Mr Cowen, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy will meet at Leeds Castle in Kent for almost three days of intense negotiations.