Northern Ireland's Rival Leaders Reach Deal on Sharing Power
Protestant and Catholic political leaders in Northern Ireland have announced a deal to form a power-sharing government on May eighth.
The breakthrough, announced Monday in Belfast, came after the first face-to-face talks between hardline Protestant leader Ian Paisley and Catholic Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
The bitter foes, who previously negotiated through third parties, met just hours ahead of a British deadline for the formation of a government. They sat side-by-side in announcing the deal.
The 80-year-old Paisley said the "justified horrors and tragedies of the past" must not become "a barrier to a better and more stable future for our children."
Adams, who heads the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, said the deal "marks the beginning of a new era."
In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed the pact, saying "everything we have done for the past 10 years has been in preparation for this moment."
北愛爾蘭新教和天主教政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人宣布了一項(xiàng)今年5月8號(hào)組建權(quán)力分享政府的協(xié)議。
星期一在貝爾法斯特宣布這項(xiàng)突破性協(xié)議之前， 強(qiáng)硬派的新教領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人佩斯里和天主教新芬黨領(lǐng)袖亞當(dāng)斯舉行了首次面對面的談判。
這對宿敵過去一直通過第三方進(jìn)行談判，他們這次在英國為組建政府而制訂的最后期限結(jié)束前僅數(shù)小時(shí)舉行了會(huì)晤。他們在宣布這項(xiàng)協(xié)議時(shí)并排坐在一起。
80歲的佩斯里說，“過去特定環(huán)境下的發(fā)生恐怖和悲劇”不能阻礙“為我們的后代建立一個(gè)更好、更穩(wěn)定的未來”。
愛爾蘭共和軍政治黨亞當(dāng)斯說，協(xié)議“標(biāo)志著新世代的開始”。
英國首相布萊爾在倫敦贊揚(yáng)這個(gè)協(xié)議。他說：“我們過去10年來做的一切努力都是為了這一刻的到來?！?BR>
Protestant and Catholic political leaders in Northern Ireland have announced a deal to form a power-sharing government on May eighth.
The breakthrough, announced Monday in Belfast, came after the first face-to-face talks between hardline Protestant leader Ian Paisley and Catholic Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
The bitter foes, who previously negotiated through third parties, met just hours ahead of a British deadline for the formation of a government. They sat side-by-side in announcing the deal.
The 80-year-old Paisley said the "justified horrors and tragedies of the past" must not become "a barrier to a better and more stable future for our children."
Adams, who heads the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, said the deal "marks the beginning of a new era."
In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed the pact, saying "everything we have done for the past 10 years has been in preparation for this moment."
北愛爾蘭新教和天主教政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人宣布了一項(xiàng)今年5月8號(hào)組建權(quán)力分享政府的協(xié)議。
星期一在貝爾法斯特宣布這項(xiàng)突破性協(xié)議之前， 強(qiáng)硬派的新教領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人佩斯里和天主教新芬黨領(lǐng)袖亞當(dāng)斯舉行了首次面對面的談判。
這對宿敵過去一直通過第三方進(jìn)行談判，他們這次在英國為組建政府而制訂的最后期限結(jié)束前僅數(shù)小時(shí)舉行了會(huì)晤。他們在宣布這項(xiàng)協(xié)議時(shí)并排坐在一起。
80歲的佩斯里說，“過去特定環(huán)境下的發(fā)生恐怖和悲劇”不能阻礙“為我們的后代建立一個(gè)更好、更穩(wěn)定的未來”。
愛爾蘭共和軍政治黨亞當(dāng)斯說，協(xié)議“標(biāo)志著新世代的開始”。
英國首相布萊爾在倫敦贊揚(yáng)這個(gè)協(xié)議。他說：“我們過去10年來做的一切努力都是為了這一刻的到來?！?BR>