UK sends warship to Asia-Pacific
THE GOOD Friday Agreement was the “work of genius” and a “precious gift”, former US President Bill Clinton said last night.
Speaking in Belfast to mark the 20th anniversary of the historic 1998 peace accord, he urged the people of Northern Ireland to “inspire” the world again.
He said: “The Good Friday Agreement is the work of genius that’s applicable if you care at all about preserving democracy.
“Because it called for a real democracy, majority rule, minority rights, individual rights, the rule of law, the end of violence, shared political decision-making, shared economic benefits, shared special relations, maintained the relationship with the United Kingdom, expanded the relationship with the Irish Republic and then let the future take its course.”
Mr Clinton, who was later given the Freedom of Belfast, shared a panel discussion with former Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern – among the architects of the historic agreement – at Queen’s University, Belfast.
He told an audience that included current political leaders and schoolchildren not to underestimate the work done by people of different persuasions.
“These people gave you a gift,” he said. “People who lost loved ones and bore scars; the women’s groups; everybody, they gave you a gift. Make the most of it. It is a precious gift.
“In the process, remind the world that democracy is better than dictatorship. Remember you inspired the world 20 years ago, you can do it all over again because the rest of the world continues to do foolish things.”
Meanwhile, Mr Blair described Brexit as a “profound mistake” and warned of challenging consequences, which had to be overcome” “because preserving this agreement is really, really important.”
Prisoner releases almost torpedoed the Agreement in the final frantic hours before it was signed on April 10 1998 – Good Friday. Twenty years on a ministerial executive at Stormont has not sat for more than a year in a dispute over the status of the Irish language, gay rights and dealing with the legacy of the past.
Meanwhile, one of those who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement has said he is sad and angry. In a stinging attack, former SDLP deputy first minister Seamus Mallon, who helped broker the 1998 peace accord, claimed the two biggest parties at Stormont had created political silos, debasing the process and “almost Balkanising” the country.
The UK has deployed a third navy warship to the AsiaPacific as diplomatic tensions with North Korea continue to rise.
HMS Albion will join HMS Sutherland and will help enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, as well as take part in joint training and exercises with regional allies.
The Ministry of Defence previously announced that HMS Argyll would also be deployed, arriving in the region later in the year to take part in an exercise with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.