US presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry will do everything to secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland if elected to the White House, his party said today.
As Democrats gathered in Boston to confirm the Massachusetts Senator and running mate Mr John Edwards on Thursday as their presidential and vice presidential candidates for the November's election, the party pledged its support for efforts to restore devolution at Stormont and implement the Belfast Agreement.
The Democrats' platform has just one paragraph on Northern Ireland but steers clear of the criticism Senator Kerry made of US President George W Bush's handling of the peace process during the race for the party's nomination.
It reads: "We are determined to help create a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. We support efforts by the Irish and British governments and the political parties to break the current impasse and we stand ready to assist in any way to achieve full implementation of the Belfast Agreement."
John Kerry campaign team
During the Democratic primaries, Senator Kerry attacked President Bush's administration for failing to build on Mr Bill Clinton's achievements in Northern Ireland when he was in the White House.
In a statement to Irish-American groups, his campaign team pledged: "John Kerry will put the Northern Ireland peace process high on America's foreign policy agenda.
"On this issue, he will continue to follow the path set by Senator (Ted) Kennedy, President Clinton and Senator (George) Mitchell.
"John Kerry believes that President Bush has failed to recognise the importance of building on the work of President Clinton in facilitating the peace process. There was not a US ambassador in Ireland in more than a year," the statement said.
"President Bush's lack of urgency in naming a new ambassador to Ireland and the absence of Presidential involvement in efforts to further the peace process are clear evidence that Ireland is not a high priority for the Bush administration."
Mr Kerry called on the IRA and loyalist terror groups to disarm and end all paramilitary activity and expressed hope that all sides would soon be in a position to support policing in Northern Ireland.