US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has urged the the Democratic Unionist Party to commit themselves to power sharing in Northern Ireland after the March 7th Assembly Election.
The Illinois senator, who is bidding to become the first black US president, welcomed Sinn Féin's endorsement of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in his first policy statement on Northern Ireland.
Barack Obama in Concord, New Hampshire this week. Photo: Reuters/Brian Snyder
Mr Obama said: "The IRA has abandoned violence and arms and Sinn Féin has now voted to support the PSNI. They have, in the words of Tony Blair, made a commitment that 'has been historic and has been real'.
"To seize this hopeful moment, the Democratic Unionist Party should take the next step outlined in the St Andrews Agreement - a commitment to a power sharing executive after the March elections - so Northern Ireland can continue the process of peace that its people so clearly wish to follow."
Mr Obama claimed the gains that had been made in the peace process had been assisted by the engagement of the United States government.
"Going forward, we should continue the practice of having a special envoy for Northern Ireland, and our president should personally engage on where America can play a constructive role, working closely with the Irish Taoiseach, the British prime minister, and party leaders in Northern Ireland."
In a bid to woo the Irish-American vote, Mr Obama also insisted that new border security regulations in the United States should not close the doors of opportunity in the United States.
Drawing on his Kenyan father's experience as an immigrant, he drew parallels with the experiences of Irish-Americans.
"My father's experience has informed my own views on the issue and I've seen the enormous contribution that Irish immigrants have made to this country," he declared.
PA