Adams urges British government to honour agreement

The British government must commit itself to honouring outstanding aspects of the Good Friday Agreement in a contract drawn up during the current multi party talks process in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams claimed last night.

Speaking after a series of meetings with US Congressional representatives in Washington, Adams said there was a need for the government to: “Put forward detailed, transparent and irreversible commitments” on the implementation of the 1998 accord.

“In my discussions with representatives of the Congress, I told them that no substantial progress had been achieved to date in the talks with the British and Irish Government,” he said.

“I also said if progress is to be made, the British government will have to come forward with a comprehensive, time framed programme for implementing outstanding aspects of the Good Friday Agreement.

“We talked about policing, sectarian violence and focused especially on the equality agenda.

“At the end of the day we need a contractual arrangement in which the British government will put forward detailed, transparent and irreversible commitments to do what they should have done some time ago.”

The Sinn Fein leader met US President George W Bush’s special advisor on Northern Ireland, Ambassador Richard Haass.

He also held talks with the new leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Nancy Polosi and had discussions with a group of 10 Congressmen and staffers of other members of the House of Representatives.