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Richard Haass inter-party talks due to begin Richard Haass inter-party talks due to begin in Belfast
(about 2 hours later)
US diplomat Richard Haass is due to begin chairing inter-party talks in Belfast designed to resolve issues over parades, flags and the past. US diplomat Richard Haass is due to begin chairing inter-party talks in Belfast designed to resolve issues over parades, flags and Northern Ireland's past.
Dr Haass was chosen to chair the discussions by the first and deputy first ministers.Dr Haass was chosen to chair the discussions by the first and deputy first ministers.
The five executive parties will be represented at the talks. He will try to make progress on areas that have proven too difficult for the Stormont parties to resolve.
Dr Haass, however, has encouraged community groups and smaller parties to provide him with ideas about how progress might be made. The five Stormont executive parties will be represented at the talks.
It is a decade since he was last formally involved in Northern Ireland as President Bush's special envoy. Violence
This time he is back at the invitation of Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, who have asked him to try to make progress on areas that have proved too difficult for the Stormont parties to resolve. Dr Haass has also encouraged community groups and smaller parties to contribute ideas to the talks.
The politicians' differences over flags and parades fuelled violence on the streets in recent months, while the lack of consensus over the past has frequently overshadowed policy debates. Differences over flags and parades fuelled violence on the streets in recent months, while the lack of consensus over the past has frequently overshadowed policy debates.
Ambassador Haass will be assisted by Harvard professor Meghan O'Sullivan who served as a senior US diplomat in Iraq, and Charles Landow, an official at Dr Haass's New York think tank. It is a decade since Dr Haass was last formally involved in Northern Ireland as President Bush's special envoy.
On this occasion, he will be assisted by Harvard professor Meghan O'Sullivan who served as a senior US diplomat in Iraq, and Charles Landow, an official at Dr Haass's New York think tank.
The team will be based at Belfast's Europa hotel and the talks are expected to conclude by the end of the year.The team will be based at Belfast's Europa hotel and the talks are expected to conclude by the end of the year.