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Writing Peace: George J. Mitchell Collection

Record of an opening plenary meeting on 19 February 1997 at 10.12 (OIC/PS63)

Friday, 21 February 1997

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This is the draft summary record of an opening plenary session on Wednesday 19 February 1997 at 10.12. It has been amended in two places in blue biro [with amendedments agreed by plenary in a meeting on 26 February.] The Chairman proposed that further time be given to discussions outside the plenary. The SDLP supported this and and welcomed the chair's assistance, and the helpful suggestions put forward by the parallel group. It thought some progress was being made but suggested further commitment was needed by the UUP. The UDP welcomed the parallel group format and asked that parties re-commit to actively working towards agreement. The DUP had issues with discussion of issues it considered to be further along the agenda. It also raised the leaking of the trilateral document by the Irish News and asked for discussion of the document in plenary. The UKUP saw the trilateral group as a way of circumventing the decommissioning issue and criticised the document as reported by the Irish News and specifically the suggestion of a liaison subcommittee. The UUP criticized the UKUP assessment of its position and hoped that progress could be made but did not commit itself to reaching agreement. Both governments welcomed the proposal for further discussion. Alliance agreed with the SDLP that agreement was possible if the parties were willing and regretted the absence of the UKUP from briefing meetings. Labour were optimistic about progress being made and supported the Chairman's proposal, as did the NIWC. The PUP was concerned about a failure to reach agreement. The recent PIRA murder of Stephen Restorick was condemned. The DUP accused Alliance of leaking the trilateral document and called for a vote on their own proposals. The UKUP called for the trilateral document to be released for their consideration.

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