STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON NORTHERN IRELAND

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

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