THE Good Friday Agreement has been described as a “remarkable achievement” as the 27th anniversary of its signing falls today.
On April 10, 1981 the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was signed by then Prime Minister Tony Blair and then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
It was then approved by public votes held in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sign the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998 (Image: RollingNews.ie)Designed to bring an end to the turmoil of the Troubles years in Northern Ireland, it marked the start of the peace process which followed.
The Agreement was a remarkable achievement, a document that married political vision and compromise” Tánaiste Simon Harris said today in a statement marking the anniversary of the peace deal.
:Credit for that achievement goes, first and foremost, to the people of Northern Ireland – political leaders, civil society, citizens – who decided to make a new beginning and build a different future, free from violence,” he added.
(l-R) Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Bertie Ahern with Senator George Mitchell and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Castle Buildings Belfast, after they signed the peace agreenment that will allow the people of Northern Ireland to decide their future. Photo: RollingNews.ie/Pool"The Agreement could not, however, have happened without support from outside Northern Ireland," Mr Harris explained, in a nod to the ongoing importance of relations between the Irish, British, EU and US governments.
"Progress on the most difficult issues has often depended on a positive relationship between the Irish and UK governments in our capacity as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement," he said.
"I know that the reset in our relations will offer that once again.
"I want to acknowledge, too, the support of international partners," he added.
"There are too many to mention, but bipartisan support from the US has been indispensable, and the EU played a vital role, both in direct support to the peace process and as a shared framework for the peace that followed.
"No peace agreement can immediately resolve all issues and we have to be honest in acknowledging that there is a way yet to travel.
"The promise of reconciliation in the Agreement is the work of generations."
Mr Harris will meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, at Hillsborough Castle later this month to discuss "how to address" ongoing Troubles legacy issues, which he admits is a "crucial question".
"It can be easy to become discouraged when we encounter obstacles, or when we see the ways in which Northern Ireland and this island remains divided," he said.
"However, today is a moment to celebrate the great strides we have made.
"There is political progress: the return of stable, locally elected and accountable government to Northern Ireland, and to all island cooperation through the North South Ministerial Council.
"Most of all, today is a moment to pause and not take for granted how life has changed for the people of Northern Ireland, and to celebrate that: greater prosperity, all the friendships and relationships that might never have been, and all the lives saved."
In a statement made today, Mr Benn paid tribute to the "courageous political leadership that brought about the signing of the Good Friday Agreement 27 years ago today".
"As we mark that extraordinary moment, let us remember how the peace process has transformed the political and economic life of Northern Ireland for the better," he added.
