IAIS: Andrews Concenssion to Unionists Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ANDREWS MAKES CONCESSION TO UNIONISTS 10/20/97 14:50 EST Just hours after Ulster Unionists, led by David Trimble, walked out of strand two (North-South relations) of the Belfast peace talks over articles 2 and 3 in the Irish constitution (which claim jurisdiction over the whole island) this evening, Ireland Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr David Andrews moved to try and stop a new rift developing between the two sides. In a stepdown, he said the Irish government was now willing to discuss changes to its' constitution as part of an overall settlement in Northern Ireland. Unionist leader David Trimble and his negotiating team had demanded a written guarantee that proposed changes to the Republic's constitution will be up for discussion at Stormont Buildings ahead of any final agreement. Unionists fear debate on Articles 2 and 3 could be sidelined, but Mr Andrews made it clear his government is prepared to discuss change in the substantive negotiations. He said his government was deeply aware of the sincerely held views of the Unionist community on the Articles which, he said, were also significant for the identity of the nationalist community. The Dublin minister said: "I have no illusions about the complexity and the difficulty of meeting the challenges, including that of finding a balanced constitutional accommodation. But that is the challenge and that is the responsibility that has been given to all of us. The Irish government will not be found wanting in meeting this challenge and this responsibility." __________________________________________________________ The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit orginization provding up-to-the-minute objective coverage of news as it happens in Ireland and the North. Please visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.iais.org ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-10.21.97-17:04:06-17475