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CNN Sunday Morning

Prime Ministers of Ireland and Britain Propose Peace Plan for Northern Ireland

Aired July 15, 2001 - 07:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a new peace plan for Northern Ireland. It evolved from five days of meetings between the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland. But as CNN's Sheila MacVicar reports, there are no guarantees the new package will resolve the long festering differences between rival political parties.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After two days of talks turned into five, the best the British and Irish prime ministers could announce was that they, at least, were in agreement.

BERTIE AHERN, IRISH PRIME MINISTER: And we, together, have reached a joint position. That in itself is a major task.

MACVICAR: In spite of hours of negotiations, intense frank and sometimes angry, the prime ministers could not get the Northern Ireland political parties to agree with them.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: You know, we're not coming to you today and saying, this is all done. It isn't. But we believe that it can be done.

MACVICAR: In an attempt to end this political crisis in the Northern Ireland, the governments will, in the coming days, present the parties with a package of proposals. Those proposals, they say, will cover all the major issues -- reforming the police, a reduction of the British military presence, paramilitary weapons.

Progress, yes, but as to Protestant Ulster Unionists, will it be enough to get rid of the guns?

DAVID THIMBLE, ULSTER UNIONIST LEADER: Progress that doesn't produce the prize soon disappears. The only progress that matters, that brings us to the point of decommissioning actually occurring. I -- anything short of that will not be seen as a success.

MACVICAR (on-camera): There is no guarantee that the parties will accept the agreement. And Tony Blair has said that there will no more negotiations. If he keeps to his word, the question is what happens if the parties reject his proposals. This could be a risky strategy that simply postpones failure.

Sheila MacVicar, CNN, Weston Park, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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