Sinn Féin's Mr Martin McGuinness yesterday indicated his agreement with the ground-breaking "consent" remarks by Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams at last weekend's World Economic Forum in New York.
Mr McGuinness was speaking at a press conference in Manhattan where he has been attending events linked to the 30th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
Mr McGuinness also described his role and rank in the Derry IRA on January 30th, 1972.
With regards to the Adams consent statement, Mr McGuinness linked it firmly to the Belfast Agreement.
"I think Gerry Adams very knowledgeably articulated our position," he said.
"We think that it is vitally important that bridges to the unionist community continue to be built by Irish republicans," Mr McGuinness said at the press conference held at New York University's Glucksman Ireland House.
"We do recognise the unionist people of the North as a very important constituent body within the island of Ireland and specifically in the North. After all, we're in government with them.
"I think we have a duty and responsibility to encourage everybody to look at our vision of the future of a new Ireland.
I do believe that we will see a united Irish republic on the island of Ireland," Mr McGuinness stated.
"I think what we now have to do is negotiate that, and negotiate that sensibly with representatives of the British government and the unionist community," he added.
With regard to his IRA role on Bloody Sunday, Mr McGuinness was clear.
"I have given my statement to the Bloody Sunday tribunal," he said.
"In that statement I have made it quite clear that I was second in command or adjutant, whichever term people like to use, of the Derry Brigade on that day, the 30th of January, 1972."
Asked if this admission might have a negative effect on his position as the North's Education Minister, Mr McGuinness said he did not envisage any such difficulties.
"It is understandable that in the context of me making it clear who I was, and what I was, on that day [Bloody Sunday] that people would open this up outside the parameters of what happened on Bloody Sunday.
"But that poses a huge dilemma for more people than just myself," Mr McGuinness said.