Bush to press U.S. firms for N.Ireland investment

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush promised Northern Ireland's leaders on Friday that he would press for more U.S. investment in the province to help its reconciliation process after decades of sectarian conflict.

Bush made the pledge in White House talks with Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley and his deputy Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander.

The two leaders, once arch-foes but now part of the province's power-sharing government launched in May, said now that fighting between Roman Catholics and Protestants is mostly over it is time to focus on economic development.

Bush congratulated Paisley and McGuinness for "seizing the moment and writing a hopeful chapter" and said the United States wanted to help Northern Ireland move forward.

"I know one way we can help and that is to encourage our business leaders to take a good look at the economic opportunities that Northern Ireland presents," Bush said when reporters were allowed in briefly at the start of the meeting.

The Northern Ireland government was formed to ensure stability in the province which, since a 1998 peace deal, has largely ended 30 years of conflict that killed 3,600 people. But there has been sporadic violence.

"I think that peace has come. There will be a fight for peace," said Paisley, adding, "We do need help in the economic field."

McGuinness, now deputy first minister, said that until earlier this year he and Paisley could never accomplish anything together but over the past seven months "there hasn't been an angry word between us."

"We are set for a new course," said the leader of the mainly Catholic Sinn Fein party, the IRA's political ally, which ultimately wants to see the province united with the predominantly Catholic Irish Republic.