PM 'warmly welcomes' IRA decommissioning report

PM 'warmly welcomes' IRA decommissioning report

The Prime Minister has welcomed today's statement by General de Chastelain on IRA decommissioning as an 'important development'.

General de Chastelain, head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, said that all arms believed to be in the IRA's possession were now decommissioned in accordance with legislative requirements.

Mr Blair said in a statement that the Government is grateful to the General and his colleagues for their authoritative and effective oversight of this process.

"I particularly welcome General de Chastelain's confirmation that IRA decommissioning is complete and that the amount of arms and material decommissioned by the IRA is consistent with the assessments provided by the security services of the two governments last year.

"Successive British governments have sought final and complete decommissioning by the IRA for over ten years. Failure to deliver it had become a major impediment to moving forward the peace process.

"Today it is finally accomplished. And we have made an important step in the transition from conflict to peace in Northern Ireland."

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