THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (Des Moines, Iowa) ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release April 24, 1995 STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY President Clinton welcomes today's announcements by the British Government and by Sinn Fein indicating that they have reached agreement on the basis for ministerial-level talks and that a meeting will soon be held. Today's step builds on the historic cease-fires now in place in Northern Ireland and offers further promise of progress toward a comprehensive and lasting peace in that troubled land. As he emphasized on April 4, the President views a serious approach to the issue of arms decommissioning as crucially important to resolving the conflict in Northern Ireland. We welcome Sinn Fein's stated readiness to take such a serious approach. Similarly, we applaud the willingness of British ministers to address other issues of concern to Sinn Fein. President Clinton will continue to offer his strong support to the leaders of Ireland and the United Kingdom in their courageous efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland. # # #