The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has said the peace agreement is an "historic opportunity" for peace. He called on the people to ignore the voices of opposition raised against it.
As the British government prepares for a massive campaign to ensure a Yes vote in the North's referendum on May 22nd, Mr Blair said the deal represented the first stage in building real peace.
Speaking from Cordoba, Spain, yesterday where he is on holiday with his family, Mr Blair said: "The important thing is to bring home to people in Northern Ireland that this is a historic opportunity; this is a chance for people to make a new start and this is something all of the world is willing them to do.
"It is very much a beginning. What we have done is we have got in place a plan for the architecture of peace but the building has still got to be built and that's done by the people, the parties on board."
Reminding the people of Northern Ireland that there was still a lot of work to be done, he said paramilitary groups might attempt to wreck the agreement by resorting to violence. "We have got to realise that there will be people who don't want to make the changes necessary, who are going to do everything they can to try to stop this agreement . . . We shouldn't take anything for granted or think other than this is going to be a difficult process over this next period of time."
On the referendum, Mr Blair said the agreement had "primed" the people of Northern Ireland and that if they demonstrated "vision and imagination" permanent peace could be achieved.
Mr Blair paid tribute to some of the key players at Stormont. In a telephone call to the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, he thanked her for a "brilliant job". He described the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, as a man of "political courage".
The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, telephoned Mr Blair to offer his congratulations. He also praised the Taoiseach and the other political parties involved.