8 May 2007
Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have witnessed the creation of a new executive in Northern Ireland, almost five years after the previous institutions were suspended.
Ministers from the four main parties took their pledge of office in a ceremony at Stormont. Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness were confirmed as First Minister and Deputy First Minister respectively.
Speaking afterwards, the PM said that today marked the transition from conflict to peace and was “the visible expression of the fundamental principle of the peace process - that the future of Northern Ireland can only be governed successfully by the two communities working together.”
The progress in Northern Ireland held a lesson for conflict resolution around the world, he added, and had done a “power of good” for optimists everywhere.
The first meeting of the new power-sharing executive is scheduled for later this week.
Devolved government’s return follows an historic meeting in March between Dr Paisley and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, where they agreed to share power.
The St Andrews’ Agreement, finalised last year, set out the terms for restoring devolution - which was suspended in 2002 following allegations of spying.
Its twin pillars were power-sharing on a fair and equitable basis, and support for policing and the rule of law across the whole community.
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