Barroso to meet Northern Assembly leaders

The European Commission has agreed to meet the prospective heads of the Northern power-sharing assembly.

Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said he was closely following current developments and called on the political parties to fully support the St Andrews Agreement.

Speaking after a meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Brussels, Mr Barroso said: “The commission has been following the situation closely and is encouraged by a number of positive developments.

“I support the efforts of the Irish and British governments and hope that all parties will give their full support to the St Andrews Agreement.

“I look forward to meeting the first minister and deputy first minister-designate following their nomination.”

DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness are due to be nominated as first and deputy first minister respectively at Stormont on November 24.

Mr Ahern today thanked the European Commission for the positive and helpful role it played in the Northern peace process.

“Because of all the discussions, the point is sometimes lost about how much effort, commitment and encouragement the commission gives to us,” he said.

He added that the Irish and British governments were working very hard with political parties to meet the deadlines set out in the St Andrews Agreement.

“My colleagues and officials are in London today. We’ve had a lot of discussions overnight and the next few nights to meet the deadline on Friday.”

Legislation to establish the assembly will be drafted and agreed in the next fortnight, he noted.

“It is written legislation and there can be no room for ambiguity or different interpretations.

“We have two and a half weeks to get through but, as always in Northern Ireland, it will be slow and tedious but hopefully we’ll get there. I’m still confident that we’ll get there.”