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US welcomes British-Irish talks on Northern Ireland tensions

AFP
Washington, USAUpdated: Apr 27, 2019, 09:04 AM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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'The United States welcomes the initiative today of the British and Irish governments to convene political talks in Northern Ireland,' the White House said in a statement.

The White House said Friday that it welcomes new talks between Britain and Ireland over reviving Northern Ireland's troubled power-sharing arrangement.

"The United States welcomes the initiative today of the British and Irish governments to convene political talks in Northern Ireland," the White House said in a statement.

"We encourage Northern Ireland’s political leaders to return to the negotiating table to restore the region's local government."

The Trump administration said it was "shocked and saddened" by the slaying of 29-year-old Lyra McKee, shot dead on April 18 while reporting on riots in the second city of Londonderry.

Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, has been without its semi-autonomous government since January 2017 following a breakdown in trust between the main parties.

However, McKee's killing by republican paramilitaries has created new impetus for mending fences between the rival British unionist and Irish nationalist forces.