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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Lancaster, Virginia)
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For Immediate Release                                        May 5, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I am greatly encouraged that Prime Ministers Blair and Ahern have announced that their intensive talks in Belfast over the past two days have made progress, providing a sound basis for restoring the political institutions and achieving full implementation of the Good Friday Accord. I urge the parties, and paramilitary organizations, to seize this opportunity to realize these goals, in order to secure lasting peace for the people of Northern Ireland. The United States remains prepared to assist in any way we can.

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