Haass to set scene for ‘negotiations phase’ of Northern Ireland talks

Talks among the Stormont parties and involving the Irish and British governments will move shortly towards a “negotiations phase”, Dr Richard Haass has said.

The former US special envoy returns to Belfast this morning to host further discussions and to chair a plenary session of the talks aimed at securing progress on parades, flags and legacy issues associated with the Troubles.

Dr Haass was invited by the DUP and Sinn Féin leaders of the Stormont Executive to explore means to address these issues, which have proved intractable.

He is due to wind up the talks by the end of next month.

Along with Prof Meghan O’Sullivan of Harvard University, Dr Haass has been consulting widely with the political parties and groups from wider civic society, as well as with the British and Irish governments on possible ways forward.

'Hot house'
He has said today's plenary session will begin to explore the language in which possible initiatives can be framed that all the parties are happy with. This will pave the way to more intensive negotiations, possibly "hot house" talks early next month.

Dr Haass and Prof O’Sullivan have received more than 300 written submissions on the various issues of contention from a range of parties, churches, civic, religious and cultural organisations, individuals and academics.

“I’m determined to make as much progress as we can before the end of the year,” he said on his last visit to Belfast late last month.

“In December, the interaction will reach a level of seriousness and focus and intensity and will require a degree of concentrated commitment of time that hasn’t been the case heretofore. That is consistent with the fact that again we will be transitioning from what has largely been a consultative process to what will be a negotiations process.”

Among the ideas that could be considered today are the possibility of putting any proposals, especially on legacy issues, to some sort of popular vote.

It has also been suggested that the White House point man on the peace process, vice-president Joe Biden could visit Northern Ireland.

'Not outsiders'
Dr Haass, who has consistently spoken in optimistic terms about prospects for some measure of agreement, has said Dublin and London are "not outsiders" to the process and could have a constructive role to play, especially in relation to legacy issues.