Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
The South African Government is encouraged by the latest developments in Northern Ireland, which will hopefully provide new momentum to the final implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The widespread yearning for peace in Northern Ireland which is bringing about significant changes in the hearts and minds of all involved in the peace process is welcomed. This reminds us of our own experiences in South Africa's painful and long yearning for democracy. Only when the relations between the two sides are transformed and mutual consultation and compromises are the order of the day, can the Good Friday Agreement be fully be implemented. Northern Ireland's next generation will look back and say that there was no alternative.
It is the wish of the South African Government and all South Africans that through steadfast leadership, Northern Ireland's quest for peace shall surely succeed before the new millennium.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
Pretoria
19 NOVEMBER 1999