Northern Ireland settlement efforts saw a bad setback as the IRA announced, February 2, that it was withdrawing its own initiatives of last year to terminate "semi-military" action and pass arsenals to an international commission. The developments alarm Russia, said Mr. Timokhov.
Russia proposes to forward to Northern Ireland an OSCE fact-finding mission, which would delve into all reasons why the old conflict has come to an edge now. The mission would also evaluate the humanitarian aspects of current developments, and the local population's plight after recent terror acts and on instances when the army and police were using arms out of proportion with the actual situation, the diplomat went on.
He hopes the prospects for OSCE involvement in the Northern Ireland problem will not estrange London from Dublin, and both will not misunderstand those prospects but will realize that the OSCE is anxious to promote settlement progress.
The OSCE will certainly gain with participation in the Northern Ireland settlement cause-it is an organization that represents entire Europe, and is not to limit its activities to tackling conflicts "east of Vienna", stressed the Russian spokesman.
"We have no desire to give the problem a political coloring. What moves us is sincere desire to build up stability and security throughout Europe," he reassured.
