Northern Ireland politicians are holding talks with Palestinian and Israeli representatives in Britain today to see if the experience of Irish peace process can benefit the Middle East.
The talks are taking place in Weston Park in Shropshire, the venue for many high level talks in the past and will be attended by SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan, Sinn Féin’s Mr Martin McGuinness, Ulster Unionist Mr Reg Empey and Mr David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party.
Comparing the difficulties in the Middle East to Northern Ireland, Mr Durkan said: "Whilst the two conflicts are very different, there are many parallels ... there is a great frustration at the deterioration of their peace process. What is needed is to ensure that frustration does not only express itself as mutual recrimination but also shared determination".
The meeting was organised by the Guardiannewspaper and will also be attended by representatives of the Israeli Labour Party and the Palestinian Authority.
The details of the meeting have not been disclosed but a source said the discussions had centred on the need to keep the channels of communication open even in the most difficult of times. Speaking on BBC radio, Mr McGuinness said it was gratifying to be able to offer some insight.
"While all conflicts have their own unique causal circumstances the principles necessary to resolve differences are fundamentally similar.
"Conflict resolution is never easy and there will be set-backs while the process is bedding down and old foes deal with the hurt and suffering that they have inflicted on each other," he said.
