{"id":1173,"date":"2018-04-09T07:45:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-09T12:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=1173"},"modified":"2018-04-09T07:45:52","modified_gmt":"2018-04-09T12:45:52","slug":"bill-clinton-to-receive-freedom-of-belfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=1173","title":{"rendered":"Bill Clinton to Receive Freedom of Belfast"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"This week marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n

It comes at a time when Brexit places a question mark over the border – and power-sharing grinds to a halt.<\/p>\n

The landmark 35-page deal brought about a promised end to the violence of the troubles but is now in the spotlight with the prospect of Brexit.<\/p>\n

The very structures it created to allow for power-sharing at Stormont have now continued to lie idle for over a year.<\/p>\n

Events have already taken place in Washington and New York to mark the historic peace treaty.<\/p>\n

And tomorrow (the actual date of the agreement) former US President Bill Clinton and former US senator George Mitchell, who helped broker the deal are due to accept the Freedom of Belfast at an event in the city.<\/p>\n

George Mitchell yesterday told the BBC that the single most important result of the Good Friday Agreement was 20 years of peace and he denied claims by some that it was now getting in the way of political progress in the north.<\/p>\n

Speaking in advance of the anniversary Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald has restated Sinn F\u00e9in’s commitment to the agreement and urged all the other parties, including the UK and Irish governments, to recommit to the Agreement, power sharing, reconciliation and progress.<\/p>\n

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