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Blair Holds Talks With N.Irish Political Leaders
British Prime Minister Tony Blair Thursday called on the unionists to give the Northern Ireland peace process time to work and not give up.
Blair, who was on a one-day visit to Belfast, said he understood the concerns of unionists as the Northern Ireland peace process entered a critical phase.
His comments came 48 hours before Protestant Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble faces a meeting of his party's 860-member ruling council, which could spell the end of the party's policy of sharing executive power with the republicans.
Speaking at Stormont, Belfast, on Thursday, Blair said it was an imperfect process but that the progress made in recent years must not be thrown away.
He held a series of meetings with key figures including First Minister David Trimble, Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams.
Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist leader Trimble was heading for a showdown with dissident party member Jeffrey Donaldson.
Trimble has rejected Donaldson's idea of a five-week deadline for decommissioning.
He said he would outline on Saturday to his party's ruling council his own ideas on pressurizing the republican movement to deliver.
Blair's visit came as the Irish Republican Army confirmed that a second inspection of its arms dumps had taken place, and after anti-agreement unionists set a new deadline for a start to decommissioning.
It also followed a warning to unionists from Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson, that the collapse of devolution could lead to "increased interference by Dublin in Northern Ireland's
affairs."
Mandelson said the prime minister would bring a "fresh voice" at an important time in Northern Ireland. However, he warned unionists about what would happen if the agreement fell apart.
"If the political structures that we have created collapse, then obviously direct rule will resume and that will involve not just the British Government, but of course inevitably the Irish government interfering more in the affairs of Northern Ireland," 1027he said.
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