Blair reports peace talks progress

Tony Blair says progress will be made in the Northern Ireland peace process, with discussions to continue over the coming week.

Mr Blair said that substantial progress had been made on policing and it was hoped that the ground would be narrowed by June.

After a day of negotiations involving the British and Irish governments and the pro-Good Friday Agreement parties, he also reported progress on the issues of demilitarisation and support for the political institutions.

He welcomed the IRA's announcement that it was re-engaging with the International Disarmament Commission.

The British Prime Minister said it was very clear what issues there were to be resolved in the peace process, and said that they were "narrowing".

"First of all there is the issue of policing. I think the issues there have narrowed considerably," he said.

"We are confident now that we can get this issue resolved, probably in June.

"We also believe that in relation to the issues of decommissioning and the putting of weapons beyond use, we welcome the step that has been taken by the IRA today, but there is an expectation now that this must go on to be substantial re-engagement with the commission for decommissioning.

"There has also been discussion too on our own obligations as the British Government.

"We have made it clear that we are prepared and stand by the obligations that we have entered into to make progress in the areas that are important for us as well, and I think that the other thing that is important is that as well as having narrowed it to those groups of issues there has been overwhelming support for institutions expressed, overwhelming support for those institutions to be sustained, and overwhelming desire on behalf of all the parties to make sure that this agreement works."