    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 31 (Monday, August 6, 2001)]
    [Pages 1128-1129]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Statement on Northern Ireland

    August 1, 2001

        This morning I telephoned Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern to state
    my strong support for the package of proposals their governments
    released today to the political party leaders in Northern Ireland.
        I believe the package is fair and that it charts the way forward in
    areas central to the Good Friday agreement. The package allows the
    people of Northern Ireland to sustain devolved government and establish
    a police service with broad public support. It provides further steps
    for normalizing the security presence in Northern Ireland and assuring
    the stability and integrity of the Good Friday agreement's political
    institutions. The proposals also recognize that a commitment to
    democratic governance and normalized security requires all parties to
    renounce violence and deal decisively with paramilitary weapons.
    Consequently, substantial progress on decommissioning is an essential
    part of today's package.
        In my conversation this morning, I commended the Prime Ministers for
    their continuing leadership on behalf of peace. I reiterated to them
    that the United States stands ready to help in any way that the
    governments and the parties find useful. I now urge all parties in
    Northern Ireland to reflect

    [[Page 1129]]

    carefully on today's proposals and to do everything in their power to
    make permanent the progress of the past 3 years by taking the next steps
    to implement the Good Friday agreement.