N. Ireland talks end without deal
CASTLE, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair says three days of intensive talks to revive the Northern Ireland peace process have ended without an agreement between Roman Catholic and Protestant parties.
"If agreement cannot be reached when it is clear that it should be reached we will find a different way to move this process forward," Blair told a news conference Saturday at the end the talks at Leeds Castle in southern England.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who joined Blair at a news conference, added: "We have made progress on the key issues."
Both men said representatives of political parties who attended the meeting will now go back to their party members to discuss the main issues.
"We think we're in the following position," now that talks have ended, said Blair. "We believe we can resolve the issues to do with ending paramilitary activity and putting weapons beyond use.
"As a matter of urgency, all parties need to conduct consultations on the possible agreement before we can proceed," Blair said.
If a consensus can be reached, the two sides finally can resolve the issue of arms and politics in Northern Ireland, thereby aligning the two governments to influence implementation of a joint agreement made last year.
"We believe that what is now an offer is reasonable in its substance and historic in its meaning," said Blair.
"We are determined to move ahead. "On the one hand, there must be the complete end to violence in all its forms, on the other there must be a stable and lasting commitment to power-sharing," he said.
Establishing a power-sharing government for Northern Ireland was part of the 1998 Good Friday peace accords, which largely ended three decades of violence between Catholics and Protestants. Ahern said the basics of that agreement remain unchanged.
The power-sharing goal fell apart two years ago because Protestants refused to keep working with Sinn Fein, the party linked to the Irish Republican Army. Peter Taggart of Belfast-based Downtown Radio told CNN that progress was made in the talks on having the IRA turn in their weapons.
Taggart said low-level talks among the parties are to resume next week.
