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| Ministers meet with EC president | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The first and deputy first ministers in waiting have had a working lunch with the European Union's top diplomat, Jose Manuel Barroso, at Stormont. | |
| It was Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness's first joint public engagement. | |
| Mr Barroso also met Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain and Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern. | |
| He said: "We are following with great admiration and respect the important political transformations (in NI)." | |
| On Monday night, Mr Paisley said he would not shake hands with Mr McGuinness when they were sworn into their jobs. | |
| The pair will take up their new roles on 8 May when the new power-sharing executive is formed. | The pair will take up their new roles on 8 May when the new power-sharing executive is formed. |
| Mr Barroso, the president of the European Commission, is visiting Northern Ireland on his way back from an EU-US summit in the United States. | Mr Barroso, the president of the European Commission, is visiting Northern Ireland on his way back from an EU-US summit in the United States. |
| This visit is being seen as the European Union's way of signalling its backing for the new executive. | This visit is being seen as the European Union's way of signalling its backing for the new executive. |
| Speaking after he met with Mr Hain and Mr Ahern, Mr Barroso said the EU would continue to be supportive of political development in Northern Ireland. | Speaking after he met with Mr Hain and Mr Ahern, Mr Barroso said the EU would continue to be supportive of political development in Northern Ireland. |
| "I think there is a lot of symbolism in this because the message I want to bring to the citizens of Northern Ireland is that precisely we are following with great admiration, great respect very important political transformations here. | "I think there is a lot of symbolism in this because the message I want to bring to the citizens of Northern Ireland is that precisely we are following with great admiration, great respect very important political transformations here. |
| "This message I bring on behalf of the European Commission and I can say on behalf of the European Union," he said. | "This message I bring on behalf of the European Commission and I can say on behalf of the European Union," he said. |
| Ian Paisley won't shake hands with Martin McGuinness at ceremony | Ian Paisley won't shake hands with Martin McGuinness at ceremony |
| The EU commission is on the verge of approving a further £600m in financial support for Northern Ireland and the Republic's border counties. | The EU commission is on the verge of approving a further £600m in financial support for Northern Ireland and the Republic's border counties. |
| However, the Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson and the independent unionist MEP Jim Allister have both protested about being left out of the arrangements for this visit, which they believe is a breach of the usual protocol. | However, the Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson and the independent unionist MEP Jim Allister have both protested about being left out of the arrangements for this visit, which they believe is a breach of the usual protocol. |
| Handshake | Handshake |
| Speaking about the handshake, Mr Paisley told BBC NI's Spotlight programme: "It's not handshaking we want, it's decision-making we want. | Speaking about the handshake, Mr Paisley told BBC NI's Spotlight programme: "It's not handshaking we want, it's decision-making we want. |
| "It's not acting like two actors to impress people, the people are looking for results. | "It's not acting like two actors to impress people, the people are looking for results. |
| "We could shake hands 24 hours a day, but if we don't get this province of ours into a ship-shape economic condition what good's the handshaking?" | "We could shake hands 24 hours a day, but if we don't get this province of ours into a ship-shape economic condition what good's the handshaking?" |