(8 May 1997) English/Nat
The Irish Prime Minister says he is encouraged by the strength of Britain's new government.
John Bruton spent an hour with Labour Party Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday.
They were discussing prospects for securing a new Irish Republican Army ceasefire in Northern Ireland.
Bruton was the first foreign leader to meet Blair at Downing Street after the Labour Party's landslide election victory a week ago.
Tony Blair greeted Irish Prime Minister John Bruton at 10 Downing Street, just seven days after his Labour Party swept to power in the U-K elections.
Their meeting came amid hopes that a change in government could offer a potential fresh start to the search for peace in British-ruled Northern Ireland.
After the meeting, Blair remained indoors while Bruton spoke to reporters.
He said he felt encouraged by the new Prime Minister's attitude.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The Prime Minister is very seized of the issue here. He understands the urgency of dealing with this matter in a way that would bring about a ceasefire. What is also very important is that the Republican movement should recognise their responsibility in this matter too. They obviously have to make the decision in the first instance as to whether they wish to abandon the option of violence and come in to the political process."
SUPER CAPTION: John Bruton, Irish Prime Minister
He added that the success of the Labour Party in last week's general election had given Blair a considerable majority, a luxury not enjoyed by his predecessor former Prime Minister John Major.
Bruton appeared pleased by Blair's apparent determination to win lasting peace for Northern Ireland.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"He is very early, very new in his office and we didn't expect coming here that there would be instant solutions provided to any of the issues that we raised. But what struck me about his response to all the issues I raised -- and I must have raised somewhere in the region of 20 to 30 different issues -- that on all of them there was an immediate indication of a positive willingness to engage. And that is most heartening and I think should give a lot of hope to people in Northern Ireland."
SUPER CAPTION: John Bruton, Irish Prime Minister
Blair has a 179-seat overall majority in the House of Commons -- Major had virtually no majority, and often had to court Northern Ireland's pro-British Protestant legislators on close votes.
Britain's new top official in the province, Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, reiterated the all-party British position that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) must deliver a cease-fire before the IRA-allied Sinn Fein can be included in peace talks.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"What counts is the quality of it (the ceasefire) and Sinn Fein and the I-R-A know exactly what that means and so, in that sense, it is up to them to give us the possibility of a ceasefire. The ball is in their court. I am not sure that June third is a possibility. As I have said before, the time scale is now very short and I am not sure that it is a possibility."
SUPER CAPTION: Mo Mowlam, Northern Ireland Secretary
It was a day of firsts for new British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
As well as welcoming his first foreign leader at 10 Downing Street, he held the first full meeting of his Cabinet.
In the meeting Blair and his ministers finalised the government's legislative program for the next year.
It will be announced by Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of Parliament on Wednesday.
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Негізгі бет UK: LONDON: IRISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN BRUTON VISIT
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