• Wion
  • /World
  • /US welcomes British-Irish talks on Northern Ireland tensions

US welcomes British-Irish talks on Northern Ireland tensions

US welcomes British-Irish talks on Northern Ireland tensions

August 23: Escalation

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."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

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.